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VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


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VOLUME  I. 


JOURNAL 
or  a 

VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK  IN  1679-80. 


BROOKLYN,  N.  Y.: 
PUBLISHED   BY  THE  SOCIETY. 
1  8  6  7. 


SANFORD  PUBLICATION  FUND. 


COMMITTEE  ON  PUBLICATION. 


RICHARD  S.  STORRS,  JR.,  D.D.  ALDEN  J.  SPOOXER, 

J.  CARSON  BREVOORT,  THOMAS  W.  FIELD, 

CHARLES  E.  WEST,  LL.D. 


EDITION. 


1.000  COPIES,  OCTAVO. 
100  COPIES,  ROYAL  OCTAVO. 


MUNSELL,  PRINTER,  ALBANY. 


OFFICERS 

OF  THE 

Hong  Eslantr  ^istnrtcal  £>orietg. 

1866-67. 


President,  

First  Vice-President, 

Second  Vice-President, 

Foreign  Corresponding  Secretary,  - 

Home  Corresponding  Secretary, 

Recording  Secretary,  - 

Treasurer,  .... 

Librarian,  • 


J.  CARSON  BREVOORT. 
JOHN  GREENWOOD. 
CHARLES  E.  WEST. 
HENRY  C.  MURPHY. 
-    JOHN  WINSLOW. 
A.  COOKE  HULL. 
GEORGE  S.  STEPHENSON. 
-     GEORGE  HANNAH. 


DIRECTORS. 


J.  CARSON  BREVOORT, 
R.  S.  STORRS,  Jr.,  D.D., 
A.  ABBOTT  LOW, 
CHARLES  E.  WEST,  LL.D., 
JOSIAH  0.  LOW, 
CHARLES  CONGDON. 
MILAN  HULBERT, 
THOMAS  W.  FIELD, 
A.  COOKE  HULL,  M.D., 
JOSHUA  M.  VANCOTT, 
A.  N.  LITTLEJOHN,  D.D., 
JAMES  H.  PRENTICE, 

ALDEN  J. 


JOHN  WINSLOW, 
S.  B.  CHITTENDEN, 
HON.  JOHN  GREENWOOD, 
GEORGE  S.  STEPHENSON, 
HON.  HENRY  C.  MURPHY, 
WILLIAM  POOLE, 
HENRY  SHELDON, 
ETHELBERT  S.  MILLS, 
W.  I.  BUDINGTON,  D.D., 
ELIAS  LEWIS,  Jr., 
THEODORE  L.  MASON,  M.D., 
HENRY  E.  PIERREPONT, 
SPOONER. 


EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE. 


R.  S.  STORRS,  Jr.,  D.D.,  Chairman. 
JOSHUA  M.  VAN  COTT,  JAMES  H.  PRENTICE, 

ALDEN  J.  SPOONER,  HENRY  SHELDON, 

ETHELBERT  S.  MILLS,  JOSIAH  O.  LOW, 

GEORGE  HANNAH,  Secretary. 


COUNSELLORS  OF  THE  SOCIETY. 


King9  County  : 

HON.  JOHN  A.  LOTT, 
FRANCIS  VINTON,  D.D., 
HON.  TEUNIS  O.  BERGEN, 
FREDERICK  A.  FARLEY,  D.D., 
BENJAMIN  D.  SILLIMAN, 
GEORGE  W.  PARSONS, 


Queens  County  : 

WILLIAM  DULLEST  BRYANT, 

HON.  JOHN  A.  KING, 

HON.  RICHARD  C.  McCORMICK, 

JOHN  HAROLD, 

L.  BRADFORD  PRINCE, 

SOLOMON  D.  TOWNSEND. 


Suffolk  County: 

HON.  SELAH  B.  STRONG, 
JAMES  II.  TUTHILL, 
HON.  J.  LAWRENCE  SMITH, 
REV.  EPHER  WHITAKER, 
WILLIAM  S.  PELLETREAU, 
HENRY  P.  HEDGES. 


HONORARY  AND  CORRESPONDING  MEMBERS. 


HON.  CHARLES  GAYARRE,  New  Orleans. 

JOSEPH  JACKSON  HOWARD,  LL.D.,    -         -         -  Greenwich,  England. 

HON.  WILLIAM  H.  TUTHILL,  Tipton,  Iowa. 

HON.  EMORY  WASHBURN,  LL.D.,      ....      Cambridge,  Mass. 

REV.  CALEB  DAVIS  BRADLEE,  Boston. 

CHARLES  I.  BUSHNELL,   New  York. 

MISS  FRANCES  M.  CAULKINS,  Norwich,  Conn. 

PROF.  JOSIAH  P.  COOKE,  Harvard  College. 

MAJOR-GEN.  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER,    -        -        -  New  York. 

SAMUEL  G.  DRAKE,       -        -        -  '  -        -        -  Boston. 

THEODORE  GILL,   Washington. 

SAMUEL  A.  GREEN,  M.D.,   Boston. 

FRANCIS  S.  HOFFMAN,   New  York. 

JOHN  A.  MCALLISTER,  Philadelphia. 

HENRY  ONDERDONK,  Jr.,  Jamaica,  L.  I. 

NATHANIEL  PAINE,  Worcester,  Mass. 

D.  WILLLVMS  PATTERSON,       ....       Newark  Valley,  N.  Y. 

NICOLAS  PIKE,  U.  S.  Consul,  Mauritius. 

JOHN  G.  SHEA,  M.D.,   -     New  York. 

HON.  ANDREW  D.  WHITE,  Syracuse. 


THE  LONG  ISLAND  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY. 


The  Long  Island  Historical  Society  was  incorporated  in  April, 
1863,  and  has,  therefore,  nearly  completed  the  fourth  year  of  its 
existence. 

It  numbers  at  present  203  Life  Members,  and  802  Annual  Mem- 
bers ;  with  20  Honorary  and  Corresponding  Members,  distinguished 
for  their  interest  and  success  in  historical  studies. 

Its  Library  contains  nearly  thirteen  thousand  volumes,  with  more 
than  fifteen  thousand  pamphlets,  exclusive,  in  both  cases,  of  dupli- 
cates. Many  of  the  volumes  are  rare  and  costly ;  and  the  pamphlets  — 
especially  the  large  number  of  them  which  concern  the  recent  civil 
war  —  are  becoming  continually  more  important  to  students,  and 
more  difficult  to  be  obtained.  A  considerable  collection  of  valuable 
manuscripts,  illustrating  the  early  history  of  the  state  and  of  the 
country,  has  also  been  made  by  the  Society. 

The  Museum  contains  many  classified  specimens,  representing  the 
Natural  History  of  Long  Island,  together  with  a  large  number  of 
medals,  coins,  and  curiosities ;  and  a  Gallery  of  portraits,  busts, 
bronzes,  and  historic  memorials,  which  was  commenced  soon  after 
the  Society  was  organized,  includes  already  many  objects  of  inte- 
rest, and  is  constantly  being  enriched  with  additional  gifts. 

Fifty-four  papers  on  historical  subjects  have  been  presented  at  the 
regular  or  special  meetings  of  the  Society,  besides  twenty  in  the 


viii  LONG  ISLAND  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY. 

particular  department  of  Natural  History;  and  courses  of  popu- 
lar historical  lectures  have  twice  been  given  —  in  the  "winters  of 
18G4  and  1805  —  under  the  auspices  of  the  Society. 

Through  the  generous  and  wise  liberality  of  a  number  of  its 
members,  the  institution  now  possesses  permanent  funds,  amounting 
in  the  aggregate  to  more  than  sixty  thousand  dollars,  for  the  main- 
tenance and  enlargement  of  its  Library  and  Museum.  These  funds 
constitute  an  endowment,  which  is  designed  to  be  as  enduring  as  the 
Society  itself;  but  the  income  arising  from  it  is  to  be  annually 
expended,  for  the  purposes  specified,  under  the  direction  of  the 
Board  of  Directors. 

The  Publication  Fund,  which  is  not  included  in  the  above,  and 
by  which  the  Society  is  enabled  to  print  the  volumes  which  it  designs 
to  issue,  consists  of  two  thousand  dollars,  given  for  this  specific  use 
by  Mr.  Edwards  S.  Sanford.  This  sum,  or  so  much  of  it  as  shall 
be  needed,  will  be  expended  in  the  preparation  and  publication  of 
each  volume  in  turn  ;  and  when,  from  the  sale  of  such  volume,  the 
fund  has  been  reimbursed,  another  in  the  series  will  follow. 

The  Directors  congratulate  themselves  on  being  enabled  to  com- 
mence their  work  in  this  department  with  so  unique  and  attractive 
a  volume  as  that  which  they  now  have  the  pleasure  of  offering  to  the 
members  of  the  Society;  and  they  indulge  the  confident  hope  that 
through  the  successive  annual  publications,  of  which  this  is  the  first, 
the  institution  will  do  very  much,  not  only  for  the  gratification  and 
the  culture  of  those  directly  connected  with  it,  hut  for  the  furtherance 
of  historical  studies,  and  for  the  extension  of  a  just  and  lively  inte- 
rest in  such  studies,  throughout  the  land. 

Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  February  1, 1867. 


JOURNAL 


OF  A 

VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK 

AND  A 

V>m  in  Mtvml  of  the  gtmeriaw  <M<mta 

IN 

I679-8O, 

BY 

JASPAR  D ANKERS  AND  PETER  SLUYTER 

OP  WIEWBRD  IN  FRIESLAND. 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  MANUSCRIPT  IN  DUTCH  FOR  TEE 
LONG  ISLAND  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY,  AND  EDITED  BY 

HENRY  C.  MURPHY, 

Foreign  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Society. 


BROOKLYN. 
1  8  6  7. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1867,  by 
Henry  C.  Murphy, 
For  the  Long  Island  Historical  Society, 
In  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern  District 
of  New  York. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 


Preface,   v 

Introduction,   ix 

Voyage  to  New  York,   3 

New  York  and  its  Vicinity,   109 

Journey  to  the  Delaware,   167 

The  Hudson  and  its  Affluents,   257 

Boston,  and  the  Voyage  Home,   369 

Index,   429 

List  of  Plates,   437 


PREFACE. 


The  manuscript  from  which  the  following  translation 
has  been  made,  came  into  my  hands  a  few  years  since 
in  Holland.  In  what  manner  it  had  been  preserved  up 
to  that  time,  could  not  be  ascertained.  It  was  in  the 
possession  of  Mr.  Frederick  Miiller,  bookseller  at 
Amsterdam,  when  I  procured  it ;  but,  the  probability 
is,  it  was  taken  in  charge  by  some  member  of  the 
community,  at  the  time  of  the  dispersion  of  the  Laba- 
dists  from  Wiewerd,  and  had  been  handed  down,  from 
one  person  to  another,  afterwards,  until  its  character 
and  value  failing  to  be  appreciated,  it  became  at  last 
the  mere  waif  he  found  it.  The  text  appears  to  be 
a  carefully  transcribed  copy,  plainly  written  in  a 
different  handwriting  from  that  upon  the  drawings 
or  views  which  accompany  it,  and  which,  as  the 
marks  upon  them  show,  are  the  original  sketches 
made  upon  the  spot. 

The  journal  thus  fortuitously  recovered  is  a  plain 
story,  told  in  simple  language,  of  a  voyage  across  the 
Atlantic  nearly  two  hundred  years  ago,  and  of 


vi  preface: 

journeys  to  many  of  the  American  settlements  at  that 
time.  It  was  written  under  the  influence  of  peculiar 
religious  views  and  national  attachments,  which  are 
sought  to  be  explained  in  the  introduction,  and  for 
which  the  reader  will  know  how  to  make  the  proper 
allowances.  My  task  has  been  to  render  it  into 
English  as  faithfully  as  possible,  without  suppressing 
any  remark  however  personal  or  trivial  it  might  seem. 
The  names  of  persons  and  places  have  been  retained 
in  the  orthography  of  the  writer,  although  it  is  very 
often  different  in  regard  to  the  same  word.  The  italic 
letter  has  been  used  by  the  printer  in  order  to  denote 
when  it  is  the  same  as  in  the  original.  The  French 
phrases  are  also  the  same  as  in  the  journal. 

It  is  proper  to  remark  that  a  portion  of  the 
manuscript  still  remains  untranslated.  It  is  a  frag- 
ment of  a  general  account  of  the  Indians,  and  occurs 
after  the  hiatus  mentioned  on  page  30 1.  It  has  been 
omitted  because  it  does  not  purport  to  give  the 
observations  of  the  journalist  himself,  but  is  a  mere 
compilation  for  the  most  part  from  printed  sources, 
of  descriptions  of  the  manners  and  customs  of  the 
race,  presenting  little  or  nothing  new.  What  the 
writer  saw  and  experienced  in  regard  to  them  is  given 
in  the  journal;  and  is  all  that  is  of  any  value  or 
interest,  from  its  showing  the  actual  condition  and 


PREFACE.  y[[ 

notions  of  the  Indians,  as  modified  by  their  contact 
and  intercourse  with  the  Europeans  for  little  more 
than  half  a  century.  With  the  exception  of  this 
imperfect  summary  of  Indian  customs  and  two  of  the 
views  elsewhere  mentioned  the  manuscript  is  given 
entire. 

In  preparing  the  notes  and  introduction,  I  have 
received  much  aid  in  regard  to  the  documentary 
evidence  at  Albany  and  Annapolis  from  Dr.  E.  B. 
O'Callaghan,  of  the  former  city,  and  Mr.  George  L. 
Davis,  of  Baltimore,  and  also  valuable  suggestions 
from  the  former  in  other  respects.  The  rectified 
drawings  of  the  views  of  New  York,  are  by  Mr.  J. 
Carson  Brevoort,  who  has  also  kindly  furnished  notes 
to  the  original  illustrations. 

H.  C.  M. 

Brooklyn,  February  1,  1867. 


INTRODUCTION. 


Upon  the  liberation  of  the  ecclesiastical  interests  of  Hol- 
land from  the  hierarchy  of  Rome,  there  commenced  a  series 
of  controversies  in  the  reformed  church  in  regard  to  its 
government,  doctrines  and  discipline,  which  continued  for 
many  generations,  and  some  of  which  are  hardly  settled 
at  this  day,  giving  rise,  whatever  may  have  been  the  effect 
upon  the  cause  of  religion  itself,  at  least  to  great  dissension 
and  strife.  At  first  the  questions  were  confined  to  the 
authority  of  the  magistracy  in  the  church.  Most  of  the 
ministers  adopted  tbe  views  of  Calvin,  attributing  to  the 
state  the  right  only  to  protect  the  church  and  its  external 
interests,  and  considering  the  church  an  entirely  distinct 
and  independent  body,  with  a  law-making  power  within 
itself ;  while  others  favored  a  system  of  subordination  to 
the  civil  power,  objecting  to  the  maintenance  of  an  inde- 
pendent spiritual  authority  as  a  restoration  of  the  papal 
system  which  had  been  overthrown.  Arminius  advocated 
the  latter  plan,  and  thence  arose,  in  the  first  part  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  the  great  controversy  in  regard  to  it 
between  the  Gomarists  and  Armenians,  which  came  to 
involve  finally  and  almost  exclusively  the  doctrines  concern- 
ing fore-ordination,  the  atonement  of  Christ  and  other  points 
of  faith,  which  were  finally  determined  by  the  decrees  of  the 

B 


X 


INTRODUCTION. 


famous  Synod  of  Dort.  The  Armenians  were  there  over- 
thrown, and  the  doctrines  authoritatively  declared  by  that 
synod,  and  definitively  established  as  fundamental  dogmas 
of  the  Dutch  reformed  church,  that  election  is  the  un- 
changeable purpose  of  God,  whereby  he  has,  before  the 
foundation  of  the  world,  chosen  from  the  whole  human 
race  a  certain  number  of  persons  to  redemption  in  Chrjst, 
and  that  others  are  passed  by  in  the  eternal  decree  whom 
God  has  decreed  to  leave  in  the  common  misery  into  which 
they  have  plunged  themselves;  and  that  it  was  the  will  of 
God,  that  Christ  should  effectually  redeem  those  only  who 
were  from  eternity  chosen  to  salvation.  These  points 
being  settled,  contentions  of  a  different  character  soon  arose, 
relating  primarily  to  the  application  of  the  systems  of 
scholastic  philosophy  to  biblical  science  and  the  method  of 
scriptural  interpretation,  and  afterwards  to  the  interpreta- 
tion itself.  Johannes  Kok,  professor  of  divinity  in  the 
University  of  Leyden,  whose  name,  latinized,  according 
to  the  fashion  of  the  learned  at  that  time,  into  Cocceius, 
gave  the  name  of  Cocceians  to  his  partisans,  sought  to 
separate  theology  from  the  old  philosophy,  and  to  confine 
the  expositions  of  the  Bible  to  biblical  terms.  In  this 
particular  he  seems  to  have  had  the  vantage  ground ;  but 
he  maintained  other  opinions  which  were  considered 
dangerous  to  religion.  He  maintained  that  the  events  of 
the  church  in  all  future  time  are  prefigured  in  the  Old 
Testament,  and  its  words  and  phrases  are  to  be  used  in 
any  sense  of  which  they  are  susceptible ;  and  thus  the  ten 
commandments  were  promulgated  by  Moses  not  as  a  rule 
of  obedience,  but  as  a  representation  of  the  covenant  of 


INTRODUCTION.  xi 

grace.  The  commandment  in  regard  to  the  observance  of 
the  Sabbath,  he  held,  was  abrogated  by  the  sepulture  of 
Christ.  These  views  were  combated  by  Gysbert  Voet, 
called  Voetius,  professor  of  theology  at  Utrecht,  who  had 
been  a  member  of  the  synod  of  Dort.  He  held  that  the 
theology  of  the  reformed  church  must  stand  or  fall  with 
the  philosophy  of  Aristotle.  He  insisted  upon  a  strict 
observance  of  the  Sabbath  according  to  the  Jewish  law. 
This  controversy  became  general,  and  all  the  ministers  of 
the  church  were  ranged  under  the  Cocceian  or  Voetian 
banner.  As  a  consequence,  disorders  existed  in  the  church; 
with  one,  the  least  domestic  employment  on  the  Sabbath 
was  a  sin;  with  another,  the  day  was  no  more  holy  than 
other  days;  "the  one  village  on  Sunday  was  a  dead  house; 
the  other  a  house  of  feasting." 

The  Cocceians  were  accused  of  adopting  the  philosophy 
of  Des  Cartes  which  had  then  come  into  vogue,  and  which 
had,  however,  only  this  in  common  with  the  notions  of 
Cocceius,  that  it  discarded  the  philosophy  of  the  schools. 
The  fundamental  principles  of  the  Cartesian  system,  that 
in  beginning  to  philosophize,  every  thing  was  to  be  doubted, 
and  the  only  axiom  to  be  received  was :  "I  think,  there- 
fore, I  am,"  were  deemed  atheistical ;  and  so  also  the 
proposition  that  the  inspired  writers,  when  they  spoke  of 
the  facts  of  nature,  spoke  according  to  men's  understandings 
at  the  time,  which  were  uninformed,  as  when  they  spoke 
of  the  earth  standing  still,  the  contrary  being  the  fact; 
besides  other  deductions  of  his,  really  more  liable  to  the 
charge.  These  views  were  falsely  attributed  to  the  Coc- 
ceians, however,  and  served  to  embitter  the  controversy. 


xii  INTRODUCTION. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  the  reformed  church  in 
Holland  at  the  time  of  the  rise  of  the  remarkable  sect 
whose  history  it  becomes  necessary  briefly  to  present  to 
the  reader  in  order  that  he  may  understand  tbe  circum- 
stances under  which  the  following  Journal  was  written  and 
the  spirit  which  actuated  its  authors,  and  be  able  more 
correctly  to  estimate  its  character  and  value.  This  nar- 
rative is  the  production  of  two  persons  who  visited  this 
country  in  1679,  during  the  infancy  of  European  settle- 
ments here,  with  the  view  of  ascertaining  the  nature  of  the 
country  and  government,  and  selecting  a  suitable  place  for 
the  establishment  of  a  colony  of  the  religious  community 
to  which  they  belonged.  This  sect,  which,  originating  ten 
years  before  in  the  islands  of  Zeeland  and,  leaving  there, 
was  debarred  full  religious  privileges  in  Holland,  had  now, 
after  wandering  in  a  body  first  to  Westphalia  and  after- 
wards to  Denmark,  for  the  sake  of  those  liberties  which  the 
magistrates  of  Middleburgh  and  Amsterdam  had  denied 
it,  become  permanently  established  with  the  consent  of  the 
states  of  Friesland,  at  Wiewerd,  a  small  village  in  that 
province.  Its  members  Avere  known  as  Labadists,  profess- 
ing a  kind  of  mysticism,  regulating  their  lives  by  the 
divine  light  of  the  inner  man,  and  seeking  to  bring 
together  all  the  elect  of  God,  separate  from  the  world 
into  one  visible  church,  which,  as  they  said,  like  a  city,  set 
upon  a  hill,  could  not  be  hid.  In  doctrine  they  held  the 
tenets  of  the  Dutch  reformed  church  ;  but  they  also  main- 
tained other  opinions  and  adopted  practices  not  recognized 
by  the  authority  of  that  church.  Its  founder,  Jean  de 
Labadie,  born  near  Bordeaux  in  1610,  of  a  good  family, 


INTRODUCTION.  xiii 

was  an  enthusiast,  believing  himself,  from  the  first,  inspired 
by  God,  and  chosen  by  him  to  build  up  his  church  on 
earth.  Educated  in  the  college  of  the  Jesuits  at  Bordeaux,  he 
became  while  there  a  member  of  that  famous  order  and  in 
due  time  was  ordained  a  priest.  During  his  novitiate  he 
had  applied  himself  with  great  assiduity  to  the  reading 
of  the  Bible,  to  prayer  and  other  acts  of  piety,  and  at  the 
same  time  had  prosecuted  his  studies  of  rhetoric  and  the 
scholastic  philosophy,  with  remarkable  success.  "With  his 
priestly  office  he  claimed  to  become  possessed  of  the  spirit 
of  John  the  Baptist,  and  like  him,  in  the  wilderness,  lived 
on  herbs ;  which,  however,  so  enfeebled  his  health  as  to 
compel  him  to  ask  his  dismission  from  the  order,  which 
was  honorably  given.  He  then  assumed  the  habit  of  a 
secular  priest,  and  preached  at  Bordeaux  and  neighboring 
places  with  great  fervor  and  eloquence,  moving  his 
audience  to  tears  and  sighs.  His  fame  spread  to  Paris 
whither  he  was  invited  by  the  General  of  the  Oratory.  He 
was  now  thirty  years  of  age,  with  a  mind  matured  and 
stored  with  scriptural  and  profane  learning.  He  was  not 
less  successful  in  tbe  French  capital  than  he  had  been  in 
the  province.  His  rare  powers  attracted  great  crowds  of 
all  descriptions  of  persons;  men  of  state  and  ecclesiastics, 
bishops  and  priests  all  thronged  to  listen  to  his  discourses. 
The  bishop  of  Amiens  tendered  him  the  position  of  pre- 
bendary of  the  Collegiate  church  of  St.  Nicholas  in  that 
city,  which  he  accepted.  Here  he  distinguished  himself 
by  his  holiness  and  zeal,  especially  insisting  upon  the 
necessity  of  reading  the  Holy  Scriptures;  and,  in  order  to 
facilitate  that  object,  caused  a  large  number  of  copies  of 


xiv  INTRODUCTION. 

the  New  Testament  in  French  to  be  sold.  His  views  in 
regard  to  the  Jesuits  underwent  a  change,  and  after  several 
years'  service  at  Amiens  he  retired  to  Port  Royal  des 
Champs  and  entered  into  full  communion  with  the  Jansen- 
ists.  From  thence  he  went  to  Bazas  near  Bordeaux,  and 
to  Toulouse,  and  finally  to  Graville  among  the  Carmelite 
Mara,  at  which  places  he  taught  the  doctrine  that  a  con- 
templative life  in  which  the  soul  enjoyed  the  divine  grace 
was  perfection  on  earth,  and  that  it  was  necessary  to  prac- 
tice mental  prayer,  and  a  condition  so  abstracted  from  the 
world  as  to  be  entirely  insensible  even  to  the  touch  of 
another.  As  he  had  charge  of  a  nunnery  at  Toulouse  he 
was  accused  of  teaching  this  doctrine  for  base  purposes, 
with  being  a  mammillarian  and  guilty  of  other  abominable 
practices.  These  charges  seem  to  have  been  the  inventions 
of  his  enemies ;  at  all  events  they  are  discredited  generally 
by  the  Butch  writers.  He  now  made  public  pretensions  to 
divine  inspiration,  declaring  openly  in  a  sermon  that  he  was 
directed  by  the  Savior  himself  to  assume  his  name,  and  he 
did  accordingly  call  himself  Jean  de  Jesus  Christ;  claiming 
also  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  and  wearing  the  white  habit  of 
the  Carmelites,  because  it  was,  he  said,  the  garb  of  Elias. 
He  prophesied  that  the  beginning  of  the  reign  of  the 
kingdom  of  grace  would  take  place  in  the  year  1666.  These 
vagaries  subjected  him  to  ecclesiastical  censure,  which  he 
avoided  by  flight  to  Montauban,  the  citadel  of  Calvinism  in 
France;  where,  on  the  19th  of  October,  1650,  he  totally 
abjured  the  Catholic  religion.  He  made  a  declaration  of 
faith  at  that  time,  in  which  he  alleged  that  the  spirit 
of  God  was  leading  him  to  be  a  reformer ;  that  when  he 


INTRODUCTION.  xv 

was  ordained  a  priest  in  the  Roman  church  he  felt  on  the 
occasion  that  Jesus  Christ  laid  his  hands  upon  him,  before 
the  bishop  did,  aud  he  was  much  more  sensible  of  the 
inward  ointment  the  Holy  Trinity  poured  upon  his  heart 
than  the  oil  with  which  the  bishop  anointed  his  hands ; 
that  he  was  sanctified  from  his  mother's  body  to  the  pur- 
pose of  reforming  the  Christian  religion  ;  that  in  his  infancy 
he  had  felt  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost  which,  like 
Samuel,  he  was  not  able  to  understand  in  consequence  of 
his  youth ;  and  while  living  with  the  Jesuits  he  had  learned 
from  the  Holy  Spirit  how  to  pray  and  meditate,  and  through 
heavenly  influences  was  able  to  write  and  speak  appropri- 
ately of  the  greatest  mysteries  of  the  gospel  according  to 
the  rule  of  the  true  faith.  This  was  the  language  of  the 
blindest  enthusiasm ;  but  it  furnishes  the  key  to  his  subse- 
quent life.  After  two  years  of  preparation  at  Montauban,  he 
was  ordained  a  minister  in  the  Protestant  church ;  where, 
and  at  Orange  and  Geneva,  he  passed  sixteen  years  of  his 
life ;  discharging  the  duties  of  a  pastor  faithfully,  and  with 
great  acceptance.  "'He  has  not  only,"  wrote  the  consistory 
at.  Montauban  on  his  leaving  that  place,  "  exceeded  others 
by  the  eloquence  of  his  discourses,  but  by  the  uprightness 
of  his  example.  He  has  gone  before  them  like  a  blazing 
torch  placed  upon  a  height  whereby  the  unfruitful  works 
of  darkness  have  been  exposed.  He  has  excelled  others  in 
expressing  in  his  life  what  he  taught  in  the  chancel.  He 
has  not  sought  after  the  earthly  and  worldly,  or  had  any 
desire  therefor,  but  has  pursued  with  zeal  heavenly  and 
divine  things.  In  short  he  has  been  to  us  a  joy,  comfort 
and  example."    At  Geneva  he  revived  his  views  in  regard 


xvi  INTRODUCTION. 

to  the  approach  of  Christ's  reign  upon  earth,  and  his  own 
claim  to  divine  inspiration.  He  was  eloquent  in  denouncing 
the  manners  of  the  times,  and  the  cold  and  formal  religion 
which  prevailed  among  professing  Christians.  He  gained 
converts  to  his  peculiar  notions,  among  whom  were  two 
who  adhered  to  him  through  life,  Pierre  Yvon  and  Pierre 
du  Lignon.  The  former  succeeded  to  his  power  and 
position  as  lather  of  the  Lahadists,  and  the  latter  occu- 
pied as  long  as  he  lived,  a  position  only  second  in  the 
community. 

While  de  Lahadie  was  at  Geneva  he  was  heard  by  John 
Godschalk  van  Schurman,  minister  at  Basle.  This  clergy- 
man was  originally  from  Utrecht,  whence  his  zeal  in  the 
cause  of  religion  had  led  him  to  Germany,  and  thence  to 
Switzerland.  He  visited  Geneva  in  1662,  where  he  heard 
de  Labadie;  and  wrote  enthusiastically  to  Holland,  in  rela- 
tion to  his  piety,  devotional  zeal,  and  his  efforts  to  reform 
the  church.  He  returned  to  Utrecht  two  years  afterwards, 
and  repeated  the  story  of  the  marvellous  gifts,  spiritual 
fervor  and  reformatory  labors  of  de  Labadie ;  and,  at  his 
request,  a  correspondence  was  opened  with  the  preacher, 
which  led  to  his  call  in  1667,  to  take  charge  of  the 
Walloon  church  at  Middleburgh,  in  Zeeland,  through  the 
instrumentality  of  Yoetius  and  other  professors  at  Utrecht, 
j^ot  less  distinguished  even  than  Voetius  for  piety  and 
learning  was  the  sister  of  John  Godschalk,  Anna  Maria 
van  Schurman,  of  Utrecht,  a  lady  also  of  rare  genius  and 
elegant  acquirements.  She  wrote  both  prose  and  verse, 
in  Arabic,  Hebrew,  Latin,  Greek,  German,  Italian  and 
French,  as  well  as  in  Dutch,  her  mother  tongue;  and 


INTRODUCTION.  xvii 

enjoyed  an  extensive  correspondence  with  learned  men  at 
home  and  abroad.  Captivated  from  the  first  with  the 
eloquence  and  religious  devotion  of  de  Labadie,  she  at 
once  embraced  his  views,  abandoned  her  home  and  her 
associations  with  the  learned,  followed  him  in  his  persecu- 
tions from  place  to  place,  sitting,  as  she  declared,  "  at 
the  feet  of  her  beloved  minister,  like  Paula  at  the  feet  of 
her  highly  prized  Hieronymus  in  a  foreign  land,"  and,  after 
his  death,  cloistered  herself  with  the  rest  of  his  followers  at 
Wiewerd,  where  she  died  in  full  communion  with  this 
extraordinary  sect,  always  regarded  by  them  as  the  greatest 
triumph  of  their  religion.  On  his  journey  to  Middel- 
burgh,  de  Labadie  stopped  at  her  house  in  Utrecht,  where 
he  spent  ten  days  in  conference  with  Voetius  and  other 
eminent  professors.  But  he  did,  not  impress  the  mind 
of  Voetius  favorably;  on  the  contrary,  that  learned  and 
pious  man,  who  prayed  and  labored  for  reform  in  his  be- 
loved church,  discovered  in  de  Labadie  the  schismatic  and 
fanatic,  and  quickly  repudiated  all  connection  with  him, 
notwithstanding  his  agency  in  calling  him  to  Holland. 
De  Labadie  proceeded  to  Middelburgh  by  the  way  of 
,  Amsterdam,  preaching  everywhere  reformation  in  the 
church.  "  If  Christianity,"  he  said,  "  will,  it  can  become 
what"  it  has  been.  It  is  just  that  the  last  coming  of  Messiah 
should  be  in  the  condition  in  which  it  was  left  by  the  first." 

He  was  now  fifty-seven  years  old,  and  had  reached  a 
period  of  his  life  when  the  purpose  of  his  enthusiasm  if 
not  of  his  ambition,  was  matured;  or,  to  speak  more 
according  to  his  own  language,  the  year  had  arrived  when 
the  churches  of  Christ  were  to  be  collected  together,  and 
o 


xviii  INTRODUCTION. 

the  reign  of  the  true  church  was  to  commence  on  earth, 
under  his  guidance,  as  the  chosen  instrument  of*  God  for 
that  purpose.  His  power  over  the  pop'ular  mind  had  "been 
nowhere  exhibited  more  strongly  than  it  was  now  in 
Holland.  His  intense  religious  feeling,  his  fervent  elo- 
quence addressed  to  the  Walloons  in  their  own  language, 
and  his  simplicity,  bordering  on  austerity  of  manners, 
touched  the  hearts  and  imaginations  of  all  who  listened  to 
him,  and  produced  an  unexampled  excitement  wherever  he 
appeared.  He  preached  at  Middelburgh  to  immense 
.crowds,  deploring  the  decay  of  the  church,  attacking 
ahuses  and  exhorting  to  a  more  holy  life.  He  seemed  now 
fully  to  address  himself  to  the  great  work  of  reform,  and 
would  brook  no  interference.  As  he  had  left  Geneva 
without  testimonials  of  dismission,  so  he  commenced  his 
ministration  at  Middelburgh  in  defiance  of  the  require- 
ments of  the  AValloon  church,  refusing  to  sign  its  con- 
fession of  faith  and  discipline,  and  alleging  as  a  reason  that 
Christ  was  declared  in  it  to  have  suffered  on  the  altar  of 
the  cross,  whereas  nowhere  in  the  Bible  is  the  cross  of 
Christ  called  an  altar.  He  denounced  several  eminent 
divines  of  the  Dutch  church  as  unsound,  and  inveighed 
particularly  against  a  book  written  by  the  minister  of  the 
"Walloon  church  at  Utrecht,  on  the  interpretation  of  the 
scriptures,  pronouncing  it  infamous  and  heterodox,  and 
demanding  from  a  synod  held  at  Xaarden  its  condemnation 
for  that  reason ;  but  the  synod  declared  it  to  be  orthodox, 
and  condemned  de  Labadie  to  make  reparation  to  the 
author,  which  he  refused.  The  synod  then  passed  a 
decree  suspending  him  from  the  ministry  until  the  meeting 


INTRODUCTION. 


xix 


of  the  next  synod.  He  disregarded  their  decree ;  another 
synod  was  held  at  Dort,  called  by  the  states  of  Zeeland  for 
the  purpose  of  determining  the  controversy,  when,  after  a 
session  of  eight  days,  which  he  attended,  he  was  absolutely 
deposed.  This  also  he  set  at  defiance.  Returning  to  Middel- 
burgh  with  his  friends,  they  forced  open  the  doors  of  the 
church,  and  he  preached  in  it  and  administered  the  Holy 
Communion.  The  magistracy  had  now  to  interfere,  and  he 
was  compelled  to  leave  the  city. 

In  this  controversy  there  were  on  both  sides  deeper 
causes  which  hastened  the  catastrophe.  De  Labadie 
himself  was  intractable,  and  with  the  mission  he  claimed 
from  God,  he  could  not  be  otherwise.  To  admit  the 
supremacy  and  control  of  this  church  over  him  involved 
the  abandonment  of  the  great  purpose  of  his  life.  He 
could  acknowledge  no  higher  church  than  the  one  which 
under  his  instrumentality  was  to  collect  all  the  truly 
pious  together  into  one  membership  apart  from  the 
world.  He  seems,  from  the  first  moment  he  put  his 
foot  on  Dutch  soil,  to  have  contemplated  there  the  fulfill- 
ment of  his  prophecy,  and  the  refoi'mation  or  conversion 
of  the  churehes  of  Holland,  as  the  beginning  of  the  end. 
Therefore  it  was  that  Voetius  and  Essenius,  when  they 
heard  his  sentiments  from  his  own  lips,  discovered  in  his 
purposes  an  inevitable  schism.  On  the  other  side  there 
were  jealousies  and  suspicions  of  him  as  an  innovator.  He 
not  only  offended  the  Dutch  and  Walloon  ministers  by 
the  freedom  and  arrogance  of  his  remarks  concerning  them, 
but  he  had  emptied  their  churches.  Their  congregations, 
rich  and  poor,  had  forsaken  their  pews  and  their  old  pastors, 


/ 


,  xx  .  INTRODUCTION. 

to  listen  to  the  pious  and  persuasive  words  of  this  foreigner, 
and  to  lament  with  him  the  ahuses  of  the  church  and  the 
ahsence  of  spiritual  religion.  He  led  them  into  his  views 
of  returning  to  the  model  of  the  primitive  church;  and  to 
believe  that  there,  in  the  islands  and  marshes  of  the 
Northern  ocean,  the  truth  was  to  burst  forth  and,  as  from  a 
centre,  to  irradiate  the  world.  The  ministers  were,  there- 
fore, alarmed  for  their  influence  over  their  people.  Thus  it 
was,  impelled  by  his  own  convictions  and  purposes  on 
the  one  hand,  and  opposed  by  the  clergy  on  the  other,  de 
Labadie  became  an  outlaw  of  the  Dutch  church.  He  was, 
however,  sustained  by  a  powerful  party  in  Middelburgh, 
who  regarded  his  condemnation  as  illegal,  and  he  still 
preached  to  them.  They  met  daily  for  religious  services, 
morning  and  evening,  and  on  Sundays  three  times,  sitting 
without  any  distinction  of  rank  or  position  promiscuously 
on  benches,  he  and  the  elders  like  the  rest,  except  that  his 
seat  was  a  little  more  elevated  for  the  sake  of  enabling 
them  to  hear  and  see  him  better  when  he  spoke.  "  There 
is  so  much  modesty,  union,  zeal  and  piety,"  he  wrote  in  a 
private  letter,  "  that  we  cannot  sufficiently  admire  and 
praise  God  for  having  enabled  us  to  see  such  a  church 
springing  up,  composed  of  such  leaders,  for  we  have  many 
doctors  and  other  eminent  persons,  but  all  humble,  fervent, 
pious,  marvellously  edifying ;  bo  that  all  the  world  agree 
there  are  no  better  or  more  exemplary  members  than  ours, 
well  informed  and  enlightened,  and  prepared  for  all  conse- 
quences, be  it  the  loss  of  goods,  houses  and  conveniences. 
We  do  not  permit  any  abuse  or  excess  either  in  dress  or 
ornaments,  or  in  the  business  which  they  follow.  We 


INTRODUCTION.  xxi 

regulate  every  thing  evangelically  and  apostolically,  being 
determined,  as  far  as  we  can  to  restore  the  living  image  of 
the  primitive  church  as  well  as  the  pure  doctrine  which 
astonished  the  world.  Many  persons,  moreover,  are 
attracted  to  us  from  other  places ;  for  God  has  made  every- 
where an  union  with  us  and  with  our  manner  and  spirit, 
so  that  we  hope  the  Lord  will  soon  display  his  virtue  and 
power  in  grace  which  we  call  the  coming  of  the  king." 

Banished  from  Middelburgh,  de  Labadie  betook  himself 
with  many  of  his  adherents  to  the  neighboring  city  of 
Veere  on  the  same  island  about  five  miles  distant.  At  the 
present  time  an  utterly  insignificant  place,  Veere  was 
then  a  city  of  some  importance  and  trade,  and  enjoyed 
independent  municipal  privileges.  Its  civic  authorities 
received  the  outcast  with  honors.  They  conceived  the  idea 
of  founding  a  church  to  be  under  his  administration,  as  an 
important  addition  to  their  city.  Meanwhile  the  Dutch 
and  Scotch  churches  there  opened  their  doors  to  him.  A 
new  day  of  prosperity  seemed  dawning  upon  the  place. 
Many  of  the  principal  Middelburghers,  including  the  minis- 
ters of  the  "Walloon  consistory,  removed  thither  with  their 
families  and  property.  The  new  church,  under  the  name 
of  the  Evangelical  church,  now  declared  itself  independent 
of  all  human  authority,  and  to  be  free  to  follow  no  other 
rule  than  the  pure  doctrines  of  the  gospel  according 
to  the  examples  of  the  Apostolic  church.  De  Labadie, 
they  said,  had  not  abandoned  one  popedom  to  assume 
another.  Thus  the  separation  of  the  Labadists  from  the 
authority  of  the  reformed  church  was  complete ;  though 
they  avowed  their  adhesion  to  its  cardinal  doctrines. 


xxii  INTRODUCTION. 

Many  persons  of  Middelburgh    who   adhered  to  de 
Labadie,  could  not  change  their  residence  and  follow  him; 
hut  the  distance  between  the  two  cities  was  so  short  they 
could   easily  go  to   Veere  and  attend  his  preaching, 
especially  on  the  Sabbath,  which  they  did  in  large  numbers. 
It  was  a  melancholy  spectacle  for  the  ministers  and 
magistrates  of  Middelburgh  to  see  their  own  temples 
deserted,  and  the  roads  on  Sunday  and  week  days  even, 
filled  with  people  on  foot  and  in  vehicles,  leaving  their 
city ;  and  it  could  not  be  endured.    There  arose,  in  conse- 
cpuence,  a  contest  between  the  cities,  which  was  the  more 
serious,  in  consequence  of  the   political   righte  which 
attached  to  the  cities  of  the  Low  Countries,  of  independence 
of  each  other,  and  of   any  common  superior  in  their 
municipal  affairs.    The  magistrates  of  Middelburgh  de- 
manded of  those  of  Veere,  the  expulsion  of  de  Labadie ; 
and  on  the  refusal  of  the  Veerians  to  comply  with  their 
demand,  applied  to  the  states  of  Zeeland,  which  ordered 
the  authorities  of  Veere  to  expel  him.    The  Veerians  stood 
firm  upon  their  chartered  privileges,  and  still  refused ;  and 
bound  each  other  by  an  oath  to  maintain  and  defend  their 
rights.    The  walls  were  put  in  a  state  of  defense;  the 
gates  were  closed;  and  the  burghers  placed  under  arms, 
to  await  the  attack  which  the  Middelburghers  were  pre- 
paring to  make.    Every  sign  betokened  a  bloody  conflict. 
At  the  critical  moment  de  Labadie  appeared  as  the'  man  of 
peace,  appealing  to  the  citizens  to  abstain  from  force. 
The  kingdom  to  which  he  belonged  was  not  of  this  world. 
He  would  leave  the  city  for  the  sake  of  order,  and  in 
obedience  to  the  suggestions  made  to  him  by  the  Lord. 


INTRODUCTION.  xxiii 

Such  self-sacrifice  won  still  more  on  their  regard,  and 
extorted  admiration  even  from  his  opponents.  The 
Veerians  finally  complied  with  his  request,  and  he  immedi- 
ately left  the  city. 

He  turned  his  eyes  and  steps  toward  Amsterdam.  Per- 
haps that  was  the  original  destination  he  had  contemplated. 
Rich,  powerful,  tolerant,  receiving  law  from  no  other  city, 
hut  giving  high  example  at  least  to  all,  it  was  the  pride 
and  glory  of  the  Dutch  capital  to  open  her  gates  to  all 
good  citizens  of  whatever  sentiment.  She  had  sheltered 
and  protected  the  Brownists,  and  others  not  in  communion 
in  doctrine  or  practice  with  the  reformed  church.  Shielded 
hy  the  enlightened  magistracy  of  that  great  city  he  would 
he  safe  in  huilding  up  the  new  church.  He  arrived  there 
in  August,  1669,  accompanied  by  Yvon,  du  Lignon, 
Menuret,  and  other  disciples  and  adherents,  male  and 
female.  They  hired  the  upper  part  of  a  large  house, 
containing  a  commodious  hall,  where  they  all  met,  morning 
and  evening,  for  religious  exercises.  They  also  eat  their 
meals  there  together  as  one  family. 

The  Lahadists  were  well  received  at  Amsterdam,  and 
enjoyed,  at  first,  every  protection  from  the  burgomasters. 
The  eloquence  of  de  Labadie  was  not  forgotten,  and  the 
circumstances  attending  his  sojourn  in  Zeeland  had 
increased  his  fame.  He  was  permitted  to  preach  publicly, 
which  he  did  in  the  large  hall  before  mentioned.  The 
members  of  the  new  church  increased  rapidly.  He  sent 
out  his  disciples  to  other  cities,  JJtrecht,  the  Hague  and 
Rotterdam,  where  proselytes  were  made  and  societies  formed, 
as  branches  of  the  church  at  Amsterdam.    His  particular 


xxiv 


INTRODUCTION. 


doctrines  were  promulgated;1  that  by  certain  inspirations 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  Christ  could  be  seen  in  God,  and  God 
enjoyed  and  glorified;  the  exoteric  or  external  in  religion 
was  distinguished  from  the  refined  or  elevated,  the  former 
only  was  contained  in  the  scriptures,  the  latter  was  inspired 
in  the  elect  by  God.  It  behooved  men  to  stand  every 
moment  of  the  day*,  according  to  the  special  influence  of 
God's  spirit,  which  is  bound  to  no  time  or  place,  and, 
therefore,  Sunday  was  no  holier  than  other  days  of  the 
week,  nor  was  the  reading  of  the  Bible  actually  necessary; 
but,  at  all  events,  they  should  give  less  attention  to  its 
literal  meaning,  than  to  the  suggestion  of  God's  spirit. 
The  members  of  the  true  church  were  to  be  discovered 
by  their  zeal  and  fervor  in  glorifying  God  and  Jesus 
Christ,  by  the  purity  of  their  lives,  their  humility  and 
patience,  their  union  in  spirit,  their  communion  in  every 
thing,  even  in  temporal  goods.  His  converts  were,  therefore, 
to  join  their  fortunes  with  his,  or  abandon  his  church. 
Many  persons  accordingly  prepared  to  go  and  live  in  his 
community,  by  selling  their  property,  and  even  abandoning 
their  families,  for  one  of  the  true  faith  could  not,  with 
propriety,  live  even  with  a  husband  or  wife,  who  was  not 
of  the  elect,  as  such  marriages  were  not  Christian,  and,  in 
fact,  were  null  and  void  by  the  law  of  God.  In  some 
respects  his  views  assimilated  to  those  of  the  quakers ;  and 


1  Among  others  who  embraced  the  new  faith  at  this  time  was  Ch.  de 
Rochefdrt,  minister  of  the  Walloon  church  at  Rotterdam.  He  is  known 
as  the  author  of  the  work  beariug  the  title  of  "  Histoire  Naturelle  et  Morale 
des  Antilles  de  rAmerique,''  which  was  first  published  at  Rotterdam,  in 
1665,  and  afterwards  with  additions  in  1667  and  1681.  He,  however,  soon 
abandoned  Labadism  and  became  one  of  its  greatest  opponents. 


» 


INTRODUCTION.  xxv 

Robert  Barclay  and  George  Keith,  well  known  preachers 
of  that  sect,  went  over  from  England  to  Amsterdam,  to 
confer  with  him,  and  offered  to  take  him  into  their  society, 
which  he  declined.1  The  success  of  the  new  church 
alarmed  the  ministers  of  Amsterdam,  and  they  made 
frequent  applications  to  the  burgomasters  to  silence  him, 
but  in  vain,  until  a  change  of  a  portion  of  these  magistrates 
took  place  the  next  year.  Then  the  burgomasters  issued 
an  edict,  forbidding  any  one  from  attending  the  services  of 
de  Labadie,  who  was  not  a  member  of  his  household- 
community.  This  order  was,  seemingly,  a  compromise, 
by  which  the  purposes  of  the  clergy  might  be  attained, 
and  the  members  of  the  society  not  interfered  with  in  the 
enjoyment  of  their  religious  convictions.  But  it  deprived 
de  Labadie  of  the  opportunity  of  preaching  to  the  public 
at  large.  Shut  up  within  the  walls  of  his  own  house  he 
could  make  no  converts.  To  remain,  therefore,  at  Amster- 
dam any  longer  was  incompatible  with  the  progress  of  the 
church. 

In  this  extremity  the  Labadists  were  not  without  friends 
elsewhere,  able  and  willing  to  afford  them  full  religious 
liberty.  Among  others  who  favored  them  was  Elizabeth, 
daughter  of  the  Elector  Palatine,  and  abbess  of  the  free 

1  "  Either  on  that  account,"  says  Gerard  Croes,  "  or  in  derision  by  their 
opponents,  the  name  of  quakers  was  applied  to  the  Labadists  at  that  time, 
and  followed  them  from  Amsterdam  to  Herford,  where  they  were  often 
saluted  with  the  name,  and  stones  thrown  at  them." — Historia  Quakeriana, 
516.  William  Penn,  who  afterwards  visited  them,  both  at  Herford  and 
Wiewerd,  declared  that  "they  were  a  plain,  serious  people,  and  came 
near  to  Friends,  as  to  silence  in  meeting,  women  speaking,  preaching  by  the 
spirit,  plainness  in  garb  and  furniture  in  their  houses." — Penn's  Travels,  4 
ed.,  98. 

D 


xxv  i 


INTRODUCTION. 


abbey  of  Jlerford  in  "Westphalia.  Tins  princess,  eminent 
for  lier  piety,  was  a  friend  of  Anna  Maria  Van  Schurman, 
who  had  joined  her  fortunes  with  the  community  at 
Amsterdam,  and  through  whom  she  tendered  them  the 
freedom  of  Ilerford,  which  was  accepted.  They  prepared 
to  leave ;  some  sold  their  property ;  such  as  could  not  now 
go,  supplied  the  others  with  money,  and  arnid  tears  and 
sorrowing  of  a  large  crowd  who  witnessed  their  departure, 
de  Labadie  and  his  little  band  left  Amsterdam. 

At  Ilerford  every  thing  promised  well.  The  Princess 
Elizabeth  was  charmed  with  de  Labadie;  he  taught  her 
the  vanity  of  the  world;  he  consoled  her  in  sickness. 
Having  entire  freedom  to  preach  he  gained  converts  rapidly. 
A  printing  press  was  established.  Religious  excitement 
prevailed  so  in  the  town  that  the  inhabitants  neglected 
their  affairs,  rejoicing  in  the  inward  light.  Most  reprehen- 
sible practices,  however,  were  indulged  in.  On  one  occasion, 
after  having  partaken  of  the  Holy  Communion,  some  of 
them,  men  and  women,  drank  and  danced  together  for 
spiritual  joy.  Some  of  the  most  intelligent  of  the  society,  dis- 
gusted at  the  circumstance,  abandoned  the  society  altogether. 
Marriages  were  formed  in  private  without  conforming  to 
the  law  of  the  country ;  being  regarded  as  spiritual  unions, 
emblems  of  the  highest  degree  of  communion  with  Christ, 
that  is  between  the  truly  pious,  the  elect.  In  consequence 
of  these  proceedings  the  intervention  of  the  Imperial  Diet 
was  asked,  and  orders  were  given  to  the  Princess  Elizabeth 
to  cause  the  Labadists  to  leave  Hei-ford. 

They  accordingly  removed  in  1672  to  Altona,  in 
Denmark,  where  entire  freedom  of  religion  existed  by 


INTRODUCTION.  XXvii 

royal  decree.  In  1674  de  Labadie  died  there,  satisfied  his 
mission  on  earth  was  accomplished  and  the  church  established. 
"  Nothing,"  said  he,  "  remains  for  me  to  do  except  to  go 
to  my  God."  "Death  is  merely  ascending  from  a  lower 
and  narrower  chamber  to  one  higher  and  loftier."  Yvon 
succeeded  to  his  position  and  title  of  Father;  but  the  society 
did  not  remain  at  Altona  much  longer  after  that  event. 
Disputes  arose  with  the  authorities  of  the  place  in  regard  to 
a  tax  for  the  benefit  of  the  Lutheran  church.  Besides  a  war 
was  impending  between  Denmark  and  Sweden  and  they 
wished  to  avoid  the  scene,  perhaps  the  levies.  They 
therefore  in  the  spring  of  1675  made  another  migration  and 
their  final  one,  to  Wiewerd  in  Friesland. 

Among  those  who,  like  Anna  Maria  Van  Schurman, 
had  followed  the  fortunes  of  de  Labadie  from  Amsterdam, 
were  three  ladies  of  gentle  birth,  sisters,  who  had  resided 
at  the  Hague,  and  had  abandoned  ease  and  affluence  as 
well  as  rank  and  position  in  society,  in  order  "  to  be  of 
those  who  should  sit  down  with  him  in  a  separation  from 
the  vain  and  dead  worships  of  this  world."  "  We  are  a 
family,"  said  one  of  them  to  "William  Penn,  on  his  visit  to 
Wiewerd,  "  that  live  together  in  love  —  of  one  soul  and  one 
spirit,  entirely  given  up  to  serve  the  Lord."  They  were 
the  daughters  of  Cornelis  van  Aarssens,  Lord  of  Sommels- 
dyk,  who  was  considered  the  richest  man  in  all  Holland  ; 
and  sisters  of  Cornelis  van  Aarssens,  his  son,  also  Lord  of 
Sommelsdyk,  who  was  governor  of  Surinam,  and  was 
killed  in  a  mutiny  of  the  soldiers  there  in  1688.  Their 
mother  was  Lucia  van  Walta,  through  whom  they  inherited 
from  their  grandfather  the  castle  called  Thetinga-State,  or 


xxviii  INTRODUCTION. 

Walta  House,  at  Wiewerd.  This  property  was  appro- 
priated by  these  ladies  to  the  use  of  the  Labadists,  who 
there,  amid  its  groves,  were  more  completely  separated 
from  the  world  than  they  had  ever  been  before.1  The 
synod  of  Friesland,  not  forgetful  of  their  past  history, 
applied  to  the  estates  of  that  province  for  an  investigation 
into  their  doctrines.  That  body  committed  the  inquiry  to 
Witsius,  a  learned  professor  in  the  University  at  Franeker, 
who  made  report  that  their  creed  was  in  conformity  with 
the  tenets  of  the  reformed  church.  They  were,  therefore, 
permitted  to  exercise  the  privileges  of  that  church  in  the  per- 
formance of  the  marriage  ceremony,  the  ringing  of  bells  for 
public  service,  and  other  acts  of  ecclesiastical  authority.  They 
now,  at  last,  enjoyed  repose  from  persecution ;  and,  though 
frequently  threatened,  they  were  never  afterwards  disturbed 
by  the  civil  power.  It  happened,  too,  that  their  return  to 
the  Netherlands  was  signalized  by  a  great  accession  to 
the  community.  Persons  flocked  from  all  the  provinces 
and  from  Germany,  seeking  membership  among  them ; 
many  ministers  left  their  positions  in  the  reformed  church, 
Peter  Dittelbach,  who  afterwards  wrote  the  account  of 
the  decline  and  fall  of  the  Labadist3,  being  of  the  number. 
They  were  a  great  household,  of  which  Yvon  was  the 
father,  Anna  Maria  van  Schurman  was  the  mother,  and 
the  others  were  brothers  and  sisters,  subdivided  into 
teachers  or  speaking  brothers,  choristers,  overseers,  waiters 
on  the  table,  and  the  like.     Some  attended  to  the  sick, 


1  Thetinga-State  was,  at  that  time,  surrounded  by  trees ;  and  the  place 
was  afterwards  familiarly  called  the  Labadists'  woods,  and  the  Labadists 
were  styled  the  people  of  the  woods  —  bosch-lkden. 


INTRODUCTION.  xxix 

others  superintended  the  clothing,  or  the  provisions,  or  the 
education  of  the  children,  or  labored  on  the  farm.  But, 
after  all,  the  means  of  sustaining  so  large  a  body  of  persons 
were  not  certain.  The  addition  of  poor  ministers  and  poor 
men  brought  no  capital  to  the  common  stock ;  and  their 
labor  was  not  sufficient  to  supply  all  their  physical  wants, 
simple  as  they  were.  To  provide  for  the  deficiency,  as 
well  as  to  secure  a  safe  retreat  for  the  society  and  extend 
the  boundaries  of  the  church,  the  community,  shortly  after 
their  removal  to  Wiewerd,  resolved  upon  colonization  in 
America.  They  set  their  eyes  upon  Surinam,  which  had 
just  been  surrendered  by  the  English  to  the  Dutch,  by  the 
treaty  of  Breda,  in  1667,  as  a  compensation  for  the  sur- 
render of  New  York  to  the  English.  The  new  "West  India 
company  had  become  the  proprietors  of  the  recently  ceded 
territory,  and  after  reserving  one-third  to  themselves,  dis- 
posed of  the  other  two-thirds,  one  to  the  city  of  Amsterdam, 
and  the  other  to  Cornells  Van  Aarssens  van  Sommelsdyk, 
brother  of  the  three  sisters  before  mentioned,  who  had 
been  appointed  governor,  and  was  residing  here.  The 
country  being  the  only  place  in  America  under  Dutch 
jurisdiction,  it  was  deemed  the  most  eligible  for  a  colony, 
and  measures  were  accordingly  taken  to  establish  one 
there.  The  colonists  left  Wiewerd  in  high  hopes  and  with 
high  encomiums.  They  were  designated  as  the  founders 
of  the  great  work  of  God  in  America.  Lucia  van 
Aarssens,  the  youngest  of  the  Sommelsdyks,  seizing  hold 
of  the  hand  of  Dittelbach  in  rapture,  exclaimed,  "  The 
Lord  calls  us  to  great  things,  and  gives  us,  also,  great 
hearts  for  their  accomplishment."     The  colonists  reached 


XXX 


INTRODUCTION. 


Surinam  in  safety.  The  deep  green  foliage  and  exuberant 
fertility  of  the  soil  induced  them  to  pronounce  it  at  once 
another  Eden.  They  sent  most  favorable  reports  accord- 
ingly back  to  Wiewerd.  They  had  laid  the  foundations 
of  a  town  called  Providence,  and  now  required  more 
settlers.  A  second  company  followed,  under  the  direction 
of  Jaspar  Dankers,  the  writer  of  the  following  journal. 
They  were,  however,  unfortunate ;  the  ship  in  which  they 
embarked  was  taken  by  the  pirates ;  who,  after  robbing 
them  of  all  their  stock,  permitted  them  to  proceed.  They 
arrived  at  Surinam,  only  to  cause  sore  disappointment  to 
the  colonists,  who  had  expected  to  receive,  and  not  to 
give  succor.  The  truth  now  came  out ;  the  selection  of 
Surinam  was  really  most  unfortunate.  The  country  was 
subject  to  deadly  malarias,  which  clearing  the  land  only 
would  mitigate.  It  was  covered  with  heavy  timber  of  the 
hardest  wood;  which,  once  cut  down,  the  growth  was 
so  rank  that  in  four  or  five  years  it  was  all  covered  again. 
It  produced  sugar  abundantly,  by  means  of  slave  labor, 
and  that  was  all.  The  necessaries  of  life  had  to  be  im- 
ported, save  the  roots  of  which,  after  the  Indian  mode, 
they  made  their  bread.  The  first  settlers  soon  sickened, 
and  many  of  them  died,  and  to  those  who  survived,  the 
residence  was  intolerable.  They  were  not  only  harrassed 
by  the  mosquitoes  and  other  poisonous  insects,  but  "  the 
snakes  crept  through  the  houses  as  the  mice  did  in 
Holland."  The  colony  was  a  complete  failure  in  every 
respect,  and  was  soon  abandoned. 

The  former  Dutch  dependency  of  New  Xetherland, 
although  surrendered  to  the  English,  presented  a  better  pro- 


INTRODUCTION.  xxxi 

mise  for  carrying  out  the  plan.  It  would  have  been  preferred 
in  the  first  instance  had  it  not  been  for  several  reasons : 
first,  because  vessels  sailing  thither  from  Holland  were 
compelled  to  stop  in  England  on  their  voyage,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  paying  duties;  secondly,  the  trade  in  tobacco, 
which  was  the  principal  staple  of  commerce,  was  objec- 
tionable, as  the  use  of  that  article  was  prohibited  in  the 
community ;  a  third  reason  was  that  Andros,  the  governor, 
was  a  papist.  The  necessity  of  the  case,  however,  now 
overcame  these  objections.  In  order  that  a  proper  situation 
might  be  secured,  Jaspar  Dankers  who  had  conducted  the 
second  company  to  Surinam,  and  Peter  Sluyter  who  was 
one  of  the  ablest  members  of  the  community,  were  sent,  as 
a  measure  of  precaution,  on  a  tour  of  observation  through 
New  York  and  the  adjoining  colonies,  as  detailed  in  the 
journal.  Sluyter,  or  more  properly  Schluter,  was  from 
"Wesel  in  Germany,  and  with  his  brother  Hendrik  and 
sister  Elizabeth  joined  the  Labadists  at  Amsterdam.  The 
two  brothers,  theologically  educated,  occupied  prominent 
positions  in  the  society.  Hendrik,  however,  became  dis- 
gusted with  the  practices  at  Altona  and  left  it.  The  two 
travelers  after  visiting  the  settlements  in  the  colonies  of 
New  York  and  New  Jersey,  along  the  Delaware  and  as 
far  as  the  Chesapeake,  were  most  pleased  with  a  tract  of 
land  called  Bohemia  Manor,  situated  at  the  junction  of  the 
Elk  river  and  Bohemia  river  at  the  head  of  Chesapeake  bay 
and  lying  mostly  in  the  present  state  of  Maryland,  but  partly 
in  the  state  of  Delaware.  A  patent  for  this  land,  embracing 
nominally  four  thousand  acres,  but,  in  fact,  upwards  of 
twenty  thousand,  had  been  issued  in  1660  by  the  proprie- 


xxxii 


INTRODUCTION. 


tary  of  Maryland  to  Augustine  Hermans  or  Heermans,  a 
Bohemian  by  birth  and  a  surveyor  by  profession,  who  had 
formerly  lived  among  the  Dutch  at  New  Amsterdam  and 
obtained  some  distinction  there,  as  a  compensation  for  his 
services  in  preparing  for  Lord  Baltimore  a  map  of  the 
country.    The  grant  also  conferred  manorial  privileges 
and  rights  upon  Hermans  and  bis  heirs  and  assigns.1 
Sluyter  and  Dankers  returned  to  Friesland  and  made  a 
favorable  report  to  the  community  at  Wiewerd  on  the  sub- 
ject.   They  were  again  dispatched  to  New  York  for  the 
purpose  of  establishing  the  colony.    They  left  Wiewerd 
accordingly  on  the  12th  of  April,  1683,  embarking  at 
Amsterdam  in  the  ship  New  York,  Captain  Rich,  and 
arriving  at  the  city  of  New  York  on  the  27th  of  July 
following. 

In  the  course  of  their  former  visit  Sluyter  and  Dankers 
had  been  assiduous  in  making  converts  to  the  faith  and  had 
been  in  some  measure  successful.2     Among  those  who 

1  A  confirmatory  patent  made  in  16C2,  is  in  the  records  of  the  Land 
Office  in  Maryland  in  Liber  G.  B.,  No.  3,  fol.  15,  10. 

2  Rev.  Henricus  Selyns,  the  minister  of  the  Dutch  church  in  New  York, 
writing  from  that  city  under  date  of  28th  of  October,  1682,  to  the  classis 
of  Amsterdam,  mentions  the  fact  that  there  were  some  Labadists  at  that 
time  in  New  York,  who  attended  his  morning  and  evening  preaching  on 
the  Sabbath,  and  in  the  afternoon  assembled  by  themselves.  Domine 
Selyns  arrived  in  New  York  in  the  summer  of  that  year,  but  Sluyter  and 
Dankers  had  before  his  arrival  returned  to  Holland,  and  were  in  Fatherland 
at  the  time  of  his  letter;  which  proves  that  Sluyter  and  Dankers  had 
succeeded  in  securing  converts  in  New  York,  during  their  first  visit  to 
this  country,  independently  of  what  is  shown  to  that  effect  by  their  own 
journal.  When  they  returned  to  New  York  in  1683,  they  attended  Selyns's 
preaching  with  the  others,  but  he  exposed  in  a  letter  to  William  a  Brakel 
both  their  purposes  and  their  true  names.— Anthology  of  New  Netherland, 
92-6.    As  to  the  existence  of  the  Labadists  in  New  York  in  1692  as  a 


INTRODUCTION.  xxxiii 

became  impressed  with  their  views  was  Ephraim  Hermans, 
the  oldest  son  of  Augustine  Hermans,  and  to  whom  and  his 
issue  Bohemia  Manor  was  by  the  will  of  his  father  to  be 
entailed.  He  was  clerk  of  the  courts  on  the  Delaware  and 
had  become  acquainted  with  the  two  Labadists  while  he 
was  at  New  York  for  the  purpose  of  consummating  his 
marriage.  He  had  promised  them  before  they  left  New 
York  to  return  home,  that  if  they  would  come  back  again 
and  establish  their  church  in  this  country  they  should  not 
foil  for  want  of  land,  as  Bohemia  Manor  should  not  with 
his  consent  be  applied  to  any  other  purpose.  It  was  there- 
fore through  his  son's  instrumentality  that  Augustine 
Hermans  agreed  to  convey  a  large  portion  of  his  manor  to 
Sluyter,  Dankers  and  others,  promising  himself  by  this 
measure  the  building  up  immediately  of  a  large  com- 
munity adjoining  his  domain.  The  names  of  the  other 
parties  were  John  Moll  of  New  Castle,  a  judge  of  the  courts 
on  the  Delaware ;  Arnoldus  de  la  Grange,  a  trader  to  that 
river,  and  Peter  Bayard,  a  hatter  of  New  York,  son  of 
Annake  Bayard,  the  sister  of  Governor  Stuyvesant.  Augus- 
tine Hermans,  however,  repented  of  his  bargain,  before 
executing  the  deed,  apprehending  no  doubt  the  names  were 
used  as  a  device  to  secure  his  conveyance,  and  refused  to 
fulfill  the  contract,  until  he  was  compelled  to  do  so  by  the 
court.1 

distinct  sect,  see  also  extracts  from  the  Memoirs  of  M.  Lamothe- 
Cadillac,  in  iV.  Y.  Documentary  History,  II,  559.  They  are  there  called 
Abadiens. 

1  The  final  deed  of  conveyance  was  executed  by  Augustine  Hermans  on 
the   11th  of  August  1G84,  to  Peter  Sluyter  alias  Vorsman,  Jasper 
Danckaerts  alias  Schilders,  of  Friesland,  Petrus  Bayard  of  New  York, 
E 


xxxiv 


INTRODUCTION. 


Secure  in  the  possession  of  this  large  tract  of  land, 
Sluyter  and  .Dankers  took  immediate  measures  to  provide 
shelter  for  the  colonists,  and  to  establish  the  community. 
A  company  of  men  and  women  came  from  Wiewerd, 
including  in  it  several  families.  A  few  persons  residing  in 
New  York  also  removed  thither.  Ephraim  Hermans, 
abandoning  his  young  wife  and  bright  worldly  prospects, 
submitted  to  this  secluded  life.1  Sluyter  sent  to  Friesland 
for  his  wife,  who  came  over  and  was  installed  a  kind  of 
abbess  over  the  female  portion  of  the  establishment.  Two 
of  his  brothers  also  came.    Thus  really  was  formed  not  only 


and  John  Moll  and  Arnoldus  de  la  Grange  of  Delaware,  in  company. 
The  land  conveyed  embraced  four  necks,  bounded  on  the  west  by  Long 
creek,  north  by  the  great  cart  road,  leading  to  Reedy  island  in  the 
Delaware,  east  by  Hie  Appoquinimink  path  leading  from  the  great  cart 
road  to  the  head  of  Bohemia  river,  and  south  by  Bohemia  river.  This 
piece  of  land  was  afterwards  known  as  the  Labadie  tract  and  contained 
3,750  acres.  Moll  and  de  la  Grange  immediately  released  their  interest  in 
the  land  to  Sluyter  and  Dankers,  which  indicates  that  they  had  allowed 
their  names  to  be  used  for  the  purpose  of  deceiving  Augustine  Hermans. 
Bayard  held  on  till  1088,  when  he  also  assigned  his  interest  to  the  same 
parties.  Finally  the  whole  title  was  concentrated  in  Peter  Sluyter  by  a 
conveyance  from  Dankers  to  him  in  1093,  executed  in  Holland  whither 
Dankers  had  then  returned.  Sluyter  and  Dankers  were  naturalized  by 
act  of  assembly  of  Maryland,  together  with  Peter  Bayard  and  Arnoldus 
de  la  Grange  on  20th  Sep.,  1084. — Bacon,  sub  anno  1084.  Dankers  is  called 
Dauntrees,  and  Sluyter,  Slayter,  in  the  act. 

1  Not  only  did  Ephraim  Hermans  forsake  his  family  to  join  the  Labadists, 
but  Peter  Bayard  did  the  same,  leaving  bis  wife  in  New  York.  Ephraim 
Hermans  soon  repented  of  bis  folly  and  returned  to  his  wife,  but  in  less 
than  two  years  was  taken  suddenly  sick,  became  crazy,  and  died,  fulfilling 
by  his  untimely  end,  the  malediction  of  his  father  who,  as  it  was  said,  pro- 
nounced the  curse  upon  him  that  he  might  not  live  two  years  after  uniting 
himself  with  the  sect.  Augustine  Hermans  died  in  1080,  leaving  a  will  in 
which  he  speaks  in  emphatic  terms  of  condemnation  of  the  connection 
of  his  son  with  the  Labadists. 

* 


INTRODUCTION.  XXXV 

a  new  colony  in  America,  but  the  daughter  church,  doehter 
gemeente,  as  they  themselves  were  pleased  to  style  it,  of  the 
Labadists  of  Walta  House,  of  which  Peter  Sluyter  declared 
himself  the  bishop  under  Yvon,  archbishop  at  Wiewerd. 
Sluyter  was  now  both  sole  proprietor  of  the  land  and  sole 
director  of  the  church.  He  seems  to  have  exercised  the 
severest  discipline  over  the  members — the  tueht  kinder  en  or 
novices.  He  at  the  same  time  carried  on  a  brisk  trade  in 
the  planting  of  tobacco  and  in  employing  and  selling  slaves. 
In  fact  he  was  absolute  lord  and  master.  The  position  was 
desirable  for  a  man  of  less  pretensions  to  separation  from  the 
things  of  this  world,  than  a  Labadist  with  his  penances. 
"When  Straach,  a  leading  brother  at  Wiewerd,  died,  Yvon 
sent  for  Sluyter  to  come  to  Walta  and  take  his  place. 
Sluyter  refused,  reasoning  with  Yvon  according  to  the  logic 
of  their  religion :  what  God  has  once  willed  he  will  not 
recall,  and  God  having,  according  to  their  comprehension, 
manifested  his  will  that  his  children  should  live  here,  they 
could  not  consistently  with  his  will  leave  the  country. 

The  members  belonging  to  this  community  did  not  at 
any  time  exceed  an  hundred,  men,  women  and  children, 
which  appears  to  have  been  the  number  shortly  after  its 
commencement,  and  also  fifteen  years  later.  Two  con- 
temporaneous accounts  of  it  have  come  down  to  us  in 
print,  one  of  which  affords  an  interior  view  of  the 
establishment,  exposing  its  management  and  discipline, 
and  the  other  an  external  picture,  such  as  it  appeared  to 
an  outside  observer.  The  first  is  from  no  friendly  hand. 
Petrus  Dittelbach,  before  mentioned,  was  at  Wiewerd  at 
the  time  of  the  sending  out  of  the  colony,  and  for  some 


xxxvi 


INTRODUCTION. 


time  after  it  was  organized.  He,  however,  abjured  La- 
badism  afterwards,  on  account  of  its  baleful  doctrines  in 
regard  to  marriage,  and  wrote  a  work  exposing  the 
character  of  the  sect  in  that  respect  more  particularly.1  As 
he  had  been  one  of  their  number,  and  understood  their 
sentiments  thoroughly,  he  could  speak  more  boldly.  He 
says : 

"A  friend  of  mine,  arriving  from  Sluyter's  community, 
in  New  Xetherland,  lias  made  many  revelations  to  me  in 
regard  to  their  doctrine  of  marriage;  for  it  appears  that 
there  they  go  to  work  more  boldly  when  necessity  requires 
it,  than  in  this  country,  where  they  proceed  more  pru- 
dently. He  went  there  with  a  full  surrender  of  himself, 
family,  goods  and  effects.  His  penitence,  Sluyter  wrote, 
was  unusual.  The  letter  was  read  to  us  at  Wiewerd,  and 
we  rejoiced  exceedingly  over  his  conversion ;  but  now, 
since  he  has  left  them,  they  charge  and  blacken  him  with 
sin.  He  was  compelled  to  submit  not  only  to  the  mortifi- 
cations imposed  by  Sluyter,  but  also  to  those  imposed  by 
Sluyter's  wife,  who  had  shortly  previous  arrived  from 
Wiewerd,  and  took  a  little  hand  in  mortifying.  What 
they  thought  of  at  night  had  to  be  done  some  how  or  other 
during  the  da\.  Indeed,  they  made  it  so  sharp,  that  a 
brother,  who  had  been  sent  over  from  Wiewerd,  would 
stay  with  them  no  longer,  and  returned  to  Wiewerd,  where 

"  Verval  en  Val  der  Labadisten  of  derselver  leydinge  en  wyse  van  doen 
in  haare  huys-boudinge,  en  kerk-formering  als  ook  haren  op-en  nedergang 
in  hare  colonien  of  volk-plantingen,  nader  ontdekt,  voornamelik  derselver 
leere  en  leydinge  omtrent  net  Christelyk  kuwelik  uitgehalt  en  tegenge- 
sproken  alles  in  3  brieven.  Door  Petrus  Dittelbach."  Sm.  4to,  Amst., 
1692. 


INTRODUCTION.  xxxvii 

also  he  was  humiliated.  This  abasing  cannot  continue  a 
long  time  among  those  people.  My  friend's  wife  had  five 
small  children,  whom  she  brought  with  her  to  this  new 
cloister  discipline.  Whenever  she  kissed  one  of  them  she 
was  rebuked  for  showing  so  naturally  her  fleshly  cleaving. 
They  threatened  to  chill  the  mother,  who  had  brought 
some  small  tubs  of  butter  there,  and  put  syrup  on  their 
bread,  and  to  sell  their  negress  slave,  whom  they  had 
brought  with  them,  because  she  took  a  small  pot  of  beer 
and  bread,  without  the  knowledge  of  the  abbess,  to  her 
sick  master,  who,  however,  did  not  partake  of  them.  I 
could  tolerate  at  Wiewerd,  in  some  measure,  that  there 
should  be  no  fire  made  in  the  cells,  although  it  is  cold  there 
in  the  winter,  because  turf  is  dear,  and  so  many  families 
could  not  be  supplied  unless  at  great  expense ;  but  this 
friend  told  me  Sluyter  would  not  allow  them  to  have  any 
fire,  in  order  to  harden  them  and  to  mortify  and  subdue 
the  sins  of  the  body,  while  there  was  so  much  wood  there 
that  they  were  obliged  to  burn  it  in  the  fields  to  get  it  out 
of  the  way;  but  Sluyter  had  his  own  hearth  well  provided 
night  and  day.  My  friend  had  never  suffered  more  cold 
and  hardship  than  among  those  people,  and  he  frequently 
made  a  fire  in  the  woods  in  order  to  warm  himself.  His 
wife  had  no  mind  to  remain  in  this  cloister  life  under  such 
an  abbess,  who  censured  her  at  the  time  she  had  a  child 
nursing  at  her  breast,  because  she  drank  too  much  at  the 
table ;  and  when  afterward  she  drank  less,  because  she  left  off 
too  soon.  As  they  saw  these  things  did  not  please  his  wife, 
they  began  to  talk  to  him  somewhat  more  plainly  and  freely 
concerning  marriage,  arguing  that  hell  was  fall  of  ordinary 


xxxviii 


INTRODUCTION. 


marriages,  saying,  among  others,  these  ahominahle  words : 
It  was  for  God  alone  to  judge  whether  he  cohabited  with  a  harlot 
or  with  his  viife.  The  wife,  fearful  lest  they  would  take 
her  husband  away  from  her,  of  which  there  had  been  at 
that  place  more  than  one  instance,  sought  every  oppor- 
tunity to  speak  with  her  husband  privately,  and  to  exhort 
him  to  steadfastness,  as  she  had  come  away  with  him  from 
Amsterdam,  and  was  there  in  a  strange  land  with  her  little 
children.  They  had  succeeded,  however,  with  him  so  far, 
that  he  began  to  keep  himself  away  from  her.  His  wife, 
being  very  angry  about  it,  the  abbess  jeeringly  asked  her 
if  she  could  not  be  one  night  without  her  husband  ?  The 
husband  finally  began  to  attack  their  doctrine  about 
marriage  out  of  the  Scriptures,  showing  that  the  apostles 
had  not  taught  so.  He  asked  Sluyter  what  marriage  he 
came  of?  Whether  his  parents  were  not  married  in  the 
ordinary  way  ?  They  began  to  wonder  at  this  man's 
opposing  them  out  of  the  Scriptures,  until,  finally,  he  told 
them  roundly  that  all  connection  between  him  and  them 
was  severed.  They  were  confounded,  and  went  at  him 
another  way,  saying,  we  have  several  times  spoken  about 
marriage,  which  is  a  delicate  subject,  but  we  must  also  say 
to  you  that  when  there  are  any  who  cannot  conduct  them- 
selves in  that  way  in  their  marriage  relation,  we  still  tole- 
rate them.  But  how  tolerate,  as  a  brother  ?  ~No ;  but 
only  as  regards  community  of  goods  and  living  together. 
This  was  a  new  trick  to  get  him  in  ;  but  they  had  already 
blabbed  too  much,  and  he  had  heard  too  much.  They  did 
not  look  favorably  upon  his  going  back  to  Holland,  and 
attempted  to  frighten  him  from  it,  asking  him  if  he  were 


INTRODUCTION.  xxxix 

not  afraid  to  trust  himself  on  the  sea,  and  fall  from  one  pit 
into  another  ?  But  he  persevered,  and  the  Lord  helped 
him  and  his,  in  an  especial  manner,  to  reach  the  Fatherland 
in  safety. 

"  We  learn  also  from  this  friend  how  the  colony  has  run 
down  and  is  detested  by  the  people  of  the  country,  so  that 
Sluyter  can  do  nothing  there  for  the  furtherance  of  the 
work  which  they  call  the  Lord's.  But  as  regards  himself 
he  has  good  times  there  with  his  wife,  and  the  question 
which  he  once  proposed  to  this  friend,  whether  he  did  not 
see  that  these  people  did  not  fare  badly?  shows  clearly 
enough  that  he  has  good  things  there.  But  in  the  mean- 
while what  is  done  for  the  Lord  ?  Or  is  it  no  great  matter 
that  he  has  taken  one  Bayard,  an  innocent  man,  whom  we 
have  seen  here,  away  from  his  wife  who  is  now  living  in  New 
York.  It  is  wonderful  how  Sluyter  can  be  easy  when  he 
reflects  upon  the  manner  in  which  the  Lord  has  dealt  with 
one  of  his  novices,  whom  also  he  had  enticed  away  from 
his  wife,  but  finally  permitted  to  go  back  to  her,  supposing 
they  had  him  sufficiently  confirmed  in  the  marriage  disci- 
pline. They  regarded  him  as  one  who  listened  to  them, 
and  he  went  everywhere  in  their  meetings.  He  began  to 
cry  out  to  his  wife,  '  0  God,  I  can  live  no  longer,  I  can  live 
no  longer ;  wherever  I  go  Satan  pursues  me !'  'I  have  told 
you  that  all  the  time,'  answered  his  wife ;  '  why  have  you 
allowed  yourself  to  be  so  deluded  by  these  men  ? '  He 
went  one  day  to  Sluyter's  exercises,  and  found  a  horse  of 
one  of  the  neighbors  loose  in  the  woods,  which  he  took 
along  with  him  for  the  purpose  of  delivering  up  to  the 
owner.    The  horse  pleasing  Sluyter,  he  caused  it  to  be 


xl  INTRODUCTION. 

tied  in  order  to  have  it  ridden  after  the  worship  was  over 
in  order  to  see  whether  he  could  exchange  one  of  theirs 
for  it.  They  put  the  man  on  its  back,  but  in  galloping 
along  he  struck  his  head  against  a  tree  in  turning  too 
shortly  a  corner  of  the  road,  and  fell  dead  to  the  ground. 
They  had  good  hopes  of  him,  however,  they  said,  because 
he  had  remained  firm  in  the  way  of  the  Lord ;  but  for 
Ephraim  Hermans,  who  had  obtained  the  land  from  his 
lather  and  secured  it  to  them,  they  had  not  much  hope."1 

The  doctrine  of  marriage  of  the  Labadists  to  which  we 
have  before  alluded,  and  out  of  which  these  practices  grew, 
was,  as  expressed  by  themselves,  simply  this :  that  both 
parties  must  be  born  again,  because  otherwise,  the  marriage 
was  not  holy,  and  a  believer  must  not  put  on  the  yoke  with 
an  unbeliever ;  therefore  it  was  right  for  them  to  separate 
if  they  were  not  both  endued  with  grace.  They,  however, 
might  live  together  if  both  were  not  so  endued,  but  the 
believer  must  love  Christ  more  than  his  worldly  spouse ; 
for  whoever  loved  father  or  mother,  wife  or  husband  more 
than  Christ,  was  not  worthy  of  him.  It  seems  also  that  no 
person  could  be  admitted  into  full  membership  as  a  brother 
or  sister  at  Bohemia  Manor,  unless  upon  the  direction  of 
the  father  at  Wiewerd,  and  for  that  purpose  the  proofs  of 
true  conversion  were  sent  to  him  for  such  direction.  Most 
of  the  persons  attracted  to  the  community  under  Sluyter 
were  novices,  or  probationists,  who  were  undergoing  the 
discipline  and  mortifications  which  were  necessary  to 
prove  their  faith. 

The  other  account  of  the  colony  before  alluded  to,  gives 

1  Yercalen  Vol., 75-7.  , 


INTRODUCTION.  xli 

us  a  glimpse  merely  of  their  manner  of  living.  It  was 
written  by  Samuel  Bownas,  the  quaker  preacher,  who 
visited  Bohemia  Manor  in  1702.  He  thus  briefly  de- 
scribes his  visit,  after  leaving  Chester  in  Maryland : 

"  After  we  had  dined  we  took  our  leave,  and  a  friend, 
my  guide,  went  with  me,  and  brought  me  to  a  people 
called  Labaclies,  where  we  were  civilly  entertained  in  their 
way.  When  supper  came  in,  it  was  placed  upon  a  long 
table  in  a  large  room,  where,  when  all  things  were  ready, 
came  in  at  a  call,  twenty  men  or  upwards,  but  no  women. 
We  all  sat  down,  they  placing  me  and  my  companion  near 
the  head  of  the  table,  and  having  passed  a  short  space,  one 
pulled  off  his  hat,  but  not  the  rest,  till  a  short  space  after, 
and  then  one  after  another  they  pulled  all  their  hats  oft", 
and  in  that  uncovered  posture  sat  silent,  uttering  no  words 
that  we  could  hear,  near  half  a  quarter  of  an  hour ;  and  as 
they  did  not  uncover  at  once,  so  neither  did  they  cover 
themselves  again  at  once ;  but  as  they  put  on  their  hats, 
fell  to  eating,  not  regarding  those  who  were  still  uncovered, 
so  that-  it  might  be  ten  minutes'  time  or  more,  between 
the  first  and  last  putting  on  of  their  hats.  I  afterwards 
queried  with  my  companion,  concerning  the  reason  of  their 
conduct,  and  he  gave  for  answer,  that  they  held  it  unlawful 
to  pray  till  they  felt  some  inward  motion  for  the  same ; 
and  that  secret  prayer  was  more  acceptable  than  to  utter 
words;  and  that  it  was  most  proper  for  every  one  to  pray, 
as  moved  thereto  by  the  spirit  in  their  own  minds. 

"  I  likewise  queried  if  they  had  no  women'  amongst 

them?    He  told  me  they  had,  but  the  women  eat  by 

themselves,  and  the  men  by  themselves,  having  all  things 
p 


xlii  INTRODUCTION, 

in  common  respecting  their  household  affairs,  so  that  none 
could  claim  any  more  right  than  another  to  any  part  of 
their  stock,  whether  in  trade  or  hushandry;  and  if  any 
had  a  mind  to  join  with  them,  whether  rich  or  poor,  they 
must  put  what  they  had  in  the  common  stock,  and  after- 
wards if  they  had  a  mind  to  leave  the  society,  they  must 
likewise  leave  what  they  brought,  and  go  out  empty 
handed. 

"  They  frequently  expounded  the  scriptures  among 
themselves,  and  being  a  very  large  family,  in  all  upwards 
of  an  hundred  men,  women  and  children,  carried  on 
something  of  the  manufactory  of  linen,  and  had  a  large 
plantation  of  corn,  tobacco,  flax  and  hemp,  together  with 
cattle  of  several  kinds."1 

The  colonists  conformed  in  most  respects  to  the  mode  of 
living  adopted  at  Wiewerd.  They  slept  in  the  same  or 
adjoining  buildings,  but  in  different  rooms  which  were  not 
accessible  to  each  other ;  but  were  ever  open  to  the  father, 
or  such  as  he  appointed  for  the  purpose  of  instruction  or 
examination.  Their  meals  were  eaten  in  silence,  and  it  is 
related  that  persons  often  eat  together,  at  the  same  table, 
for  months,  at  Wiewerd,  without  knowing  each  others' 
names.  They  worked  at  different  employments  in  the 
house,  or  on  the  land,  or  at  trades,  and  were  distributed 
for  that  purpose  by  the  head  of  the  establishment.  Their 
dress  was  plain  and  simple,  eschewing  all  fashions  of  the 
world.     Gold  and  silver  ornaments,   jewelry,  pictures, 


i  "  An  account  of  the  life,  travels  and  Christian  experiences  in  the  work 
of  the  ministry  of  Samuel  Bownas."   8vo,  London,  1756,  p.  5&-9. 


INTRODUCTION.  xliii 

hangings,  carpets,  lace  and  other  fancy  work  were 
prohibited,  and  if  any  of  the  members  had  previously 
worked  at  such  trades,  they  had  to  abandon  them.  They 
worked  for  the  Lord,  and  not  for  themselves.  The  product 
of  their  labor  was  not  to  satisfy  their  lusts  and  desires,  but 
like  the  air,  simply  for  their  physical  existence,  and  hence 
all  their  goods  and  productions  should  be  as  free  and 
common  as  the  air  they  breathed. 

They  were  to  live  concealed  in  Christ.  All  the  desires 
or  aversions  of  the  flesh  were,  therefore,  to  be  mortified, 
or  conquered.  These  mortifications  were  to  be  undergone 
willingly.  A  former  minister  might  be  seen  standing  at 
the  wash-tub,  or  a  young  man  of  good  extraction  might  be 
drawing  stone  or  tending  cattle.  If  any  one  had  a  repug- 
nance to  particular  food,  he  must  eat  it,  nevertheless. 
They  must  make  confession  of  their  sinful  thoughts  in 
open  meeting.  Those  who  were  disobedient  were  pun- 
ished by  a  reduction  of  clothing,  or  being  placed  lower 
down  the  table,  or  final  exclusion  from  the  society.  There 
were  different  classes  among  the  members,  which  were  to 
be  successively  attained  by  probation,  in  conforming  to  the 
rules  of  the  establishment,  and  the  final  position  of  brother 
obtained  by  entire  severance  from  the  world. 

Sluyter  departed  from  the  principles  of  the  society,  es- 
sentially in  cultivating  tobacco  and  in  dealing  in  slaves.  It 
was  charged  against  him  particularly  that  he  was  extremely 
cruel  towards  his  slaves. 

While  Sluyter  was  building  up  the  colony  at  Bohemia 
Manor,  the  seeds  of  dissolution  were  developing  themselves 
in  the  mother  church  at  Wiewerd.    The  residence  of  the 


xl  i  v  INTRODUCTION. 

Labadists  at  Walta  could,  of  necessity,  be  only  temporary, 
that  is,  during  the  lives  of  the  sisters  Sommclsdyk.  When 
they  should  die,  the  estate  would  devolve  upon  other 
members  of  their  family.  In  the  meantime,  the  number  of 
children  in  the  community  was  increasing,  and  nothing 
was  being  added  to  the  common  fund.  In  1688,  some  of 
them,  particularly  Henry  van  Deventer,  an  esteemed 
preacher  at  Wiewerd,  began  to  agitate  the  division  of  the 
common  property,  and  giving  each  his  own,  in  order  that 
such  of  them  as  chose  might  go  out  again  into  the  world 
for  the  purpose  of  providing  for  their  families.  Nature 
thus  began  again  to  assume  her  proper  sway,  and  the  arti- 
ficial bonds  in  which  she  had  been  bound  began  to  give 
way.  Godly  reasons  were  not  wanting  to  justify  the  pro- 
posed change.  It  was  the  will  of  the  Lord  that  they 
should  remain  together  no  longer,  but  should  separate  and 
go  abroad  into  the  world,  and  disseminate  their  doctrines. 
The  church  of  Jerusalem  had  been  scattered  over  the 
earth,  and  so  must  theirs  be;  and,  like  its  members,  they 
must  go  everywhere,  and  build  up  the  house  of  God.  The 
resolution  to  divide  the  property  was  accordingly  taken, 
and  carried  into  effect.  The  poor  and  moneyless  of  the 
community  left  the  establishment,  while  those  who  were 
able  to  do  so  remained  at  Wiewerd,  using  their  portion  of 
the  property  to  pension  out  their  lives.  Yvon,  and  Thomas 
Servaasz,  who  succeeded  him  as  father  on  his  death,  and 
some  others  of  the  leaders,  staid  behind.  On  the  other 
hand,  there  were  no  additions  to  the  community,  and  it 
now  became  only  a  question  as  to  the  duration  of  the 
lives  of  the  sisters  Sommelsdyk  to   determine  when 


INTRODUCTION. 


xlv 


the  whole  congregation  would  be  separated ;  and  so  it 
happened.1 

The  partition  of  property  does  not  seem  to  have  been 
immediately  followed  by  the  colony  at  Bohemia  Manor. 
It  had  not  taken  place,  according  to  Bownas,  fourteen  years 
after  it  had  been  made  at  Wiewerd.  Yet  in  1698,  a  kind 
of  division  was  made  of  the  land,  for  in  July,  in  that  year, 
Sluyter,  who,  as  we  have  seen,  had  become  sole  proprietor 
of  the  entire  lands,  conveyed  three  of  the  necks  to  Herman 
van  Barkelo,  Nicholas  de  la  Montaigne,  Peter  de  Koning, 
Derick  Kolchman,  John  Moll,  Junior,  Henclrick  Sluyter 
and  Samuel  Bayard.  It  is  readily  discoverable  from  these 
names  that  they  were  members  of  the  community.  Sluyter 
retained  one  of  the  necks  himself,  and  became  a  wealthy 
man  in  his  own  right.  He  died  in  1722,  after  his  wife, 
leaving  by  will  all  his  estate,  the  plantation  and  land  belong- 

1  Anna  Maria  van  Sclmrman  died  in  1678.  Tvon  survived  her  nearly 
thirty  years,  till  1707,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Servaasz.  The 
last  of  the  three  sisters  Sommelsdyk  passed  away  about  1725,  when 
Thetinga-State  reverted  to  Count  Maurice,  of  Nassau,  son  of  Isabella, 
their  elder  sister,  not  a  Labadist,  spouse  of  Hendrick,  Count  of  Nassau. 
From  him,  it  passed  to  Baron  Ailva,  who  died  in  1733,  and  whose  heirs 
allowed  the  building  to  go  to  entire  decay.  We,  ourselves,  visited 
Wiewerd  in  1861,  and  found  hardly  a  vestige  of  the  Labadists  remaining 
there.  The  church  in  which  they  worshiped  was  still  standing,  but  not 
a  stone  marked  the  site  of  Thetinga-State,  although  it  was  pointed  out  to 
us  as  preserved  by  tradition.  In  a  vault  under  the  church  are  eleven 
bodies,  which  have  been  for  generations  marvellously  preserved  from 
decay,  through  some  unexplained  natural  cause,  atmospherical  or  other- 
wise. The  coffins  were  opened,  and  the  bodies  exhibited  to  us,  and  stiff 
and  light,  lifted  out  on  their  feet.  One  of  them  thus  exhibited,  the  old  school- 
master who  had  the  graafkclcler  in  charge,  said  was  that  of  Anna  Maria  van 
Sclmrman.  But  that  could  not  have  been  so.  Wiewerd  now  contains  less 
than  200  inhabitants,  mostly  boors,  living  in  small  cottages,  and  does  not 
afford  even  a  residence  for  a  minister.  Its  religious  interests  are  attended  to 
by  a  neighboring  clergyman,  who  preaches  in  the  church  at  stated  intervals. 


xlvi  INTRODUCTION. 

ing  to  it,  negroes,  horses,  cattle,  household  stuff,  and  what 
had  been  belonging  to  his  apothecary  shop  and  chemistry, 
to  his  son-in-law,  Petrus  Bouchell,  subject  to  certain  legacies, 
and  bequeathing  to  his  brother,  Johannes  Sluyter,  his 
papers  and  books,  and  to  his  cousin,  Henry  Hluyter,  his 
watch.  He  makes  no  mention  of  any  son,  and  he,  therefore, 
probably  has  no  descendant  of  his  name  living.  We 
gather  from  his  will  that  he  died  in  the  "faith  in  which  he 
had  lived,  and,  obscurely,  that  he  left  some  of  the  believers 
behind  him  still  living.  "  And  for  my  body,"  he  says, "  1  leave 
it  to  be  buried  after  our  own  humble  way,  in  the  garden  of  the 
so-called  Great  House,  where  several  of  my  brethren  and 
sisters  in  Christ  Jesus  are  expecting  the  general  resurrection 
of  the  dead  and  eternal  life  of  the  soul  and  body,  in  the 
everlasting  communion  with  God  and  all  his  saints,  through 
Jesus  Christ,  our  gracious  Lord,  Saviour,  king-head,  and 
all  what  can  be  wished  and  expected."1  The  Labadists 
were  certainly  all  scattered  and  gone,  and  nothing  of  them 
remained  as  a  religious  community  on  Bohemia  Manor 
five  years  after  his  death.2 

And  thus  both  in  Friesland  and  Maryland  the  mother- 
church  and  daughter-church  expired  about  the  same  time. 
The  sincerity  of  the  founder  of  Labadism  and  of  his 
followers  may  be  conceded,   the  charges  made  against 

1  This  will  is  signed  Peter  Sluyter,  alias  Vorsman. 

2  Bownas,  59.  Johannes  Sluyter  and  Henry  Sluyter,  who  survived  him, 
were  probably  the  last  of  the  sect  who  resided  there,  and  with  them,  there- 
fore, passed  away  the  last  disciples  of  de  Labadie  in  America.  They  were 
both  dead  in  1736,  as  we  learn  from  the  proceedings  on  the  admission  of 
the  will  of  Peter  Sluyter,  to  probate  a  second  time.  This  will  is  recorded 
in  the  office  of  the  Registrar  of  Wills,  at  Annapolis. 


INTRODUCTION. 


xlvii 


their  lives  may  be  admitted  to  be  the  inventions  of 
malicious  minds,  conceived  from  what  might  have  been, 
rather  than  from  what  were  the  abuses  of  the  system,  yet 
the  doctrines  which  they  preached,  and  the  discipline 
which  they  practiced,  were  repugnant  to  the  wise  purposes 
of  the  Creator  in  placing  man  upon  earth.  They  were 
the  refinements  of  a  subtle  mind,  following  the  idea  that 
the  world  had  reached  the  last  condition  of  the  church, 
before  the  coming  of  Christ.  Maintained  with  great 
success  by  the  eloquence  and  zeal  of  de  Labadie,  and  the 
marked  ability  of  Yvon,  his  successor,  they  failed  when 
these  supports  were  withdrawn,  showing  it  was  their 
personal  influence,  rather  than  its  adaptation  to  the 
spiritual  wants  of  man,  that  constituted  the  strength  of 
Labadism.  Like  a  ship  without  a  pilot,  it  soon  drifted 
upon  the  rocks,  went  to  pieces  and  disappeared.1 

1  The  principal  authorities  which  we  have  consulted  are :  Historisch  , 
Verhael  Nopende  der  Labadisten  Scheuringli.  Door  Jacobus  Koelman. 
Amsterdam,  1683.  Verval  en  val  der  Labadisten,  &c,  Door  Petrus 
Dittelbach.  Amsterdam,  1692.  Nouveau  Dictioimaire  Historique.  Par 
Jacques  George  de  Chaufepie.  Amsterdam,  1753.  Vaderlandsch  Woorden- 
boek.  Door  Jacobus  Kok.  Amsterdam  1794.  Geschiedenis  der  Nederlandsche 
Hervormde  Kerk.  Door  A.  Ypey  and  J.  J.  Dermout.  Breda,  1824.  De 
Labadie  en  de  Labadisten.  Door  H.  Van  Berkum.  Sneek,  1851.  Anna 
Maria  van  Schurman.  Door  G.  D.  J.  Schotel.  's  Hertogenbosch,  1853. 
We  have  not  spoken  of  the  Mennonists,  a  sect  occasionally  referred  to  in 
the  journal,  as  they  owe  their  origin  to  a  period  just  anterior  to  the  Dutch 
reformed.  It  may,  however,  be  stated  that  their  founder,  Menno  Simonis, 
embraced  the  leading  doctrines  of  the  Anabaptists,  especially  in  holding 
that  infants  were  not  the  proper  subjects  of  baptism,  Christ's  second 
coming  on  earth,  and  a  rigid  habit  of  living ;  but  he  opposed  the  attempt 
they  made  at  Munster  and  other  places  to  abolish  civil  government  by 
force,  though  adhering  to  the  doctrine  that  no  magistrate  should  be 
admitted  into  the  church.  This  sect  differs  little  at  the  present  time  in 
their  religious  views  from  the  Baptists  of  our  own  country.  The  Mennon- 
ists attempted  a  settlement  on  the  Delaware  in  1622,  (post  p.  220-1,  note). 


JOURNAL 

or  our 

VOYAGE  TO  NEW  NETHERLAND 

BEGUN  IN  THE 

NAME  OF  THE  LORD  AND  FOR  HIS  GLORY,  THE  8TH  OF  JUNE,  1679, 

AND  UNDERTAKEN 

In  the  small  Flute-ship,  called  the  Charles,  of  ichich  Thomas  Singleton  was 
Master;  but  the  superior  Authority  over  both  Ship  and  Cargo  was 
in  Margaret  Filipse,  who  was  the  Owner  of  both,  and  with 
whom  ice  agreed  for  our  Passage  from  Amsterdam  to 
ISfm  York,  in  New  Netherland,  at  seventy-five 
Guilders  for  each  Person, payable  in  Holland. 
Our  Names  were  registered,  that  of 
my  Friend  as  P.  Vorstman,and 
my  own  as  J.  Schilders. 


1 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


On  the  eighth  of  June,  1679,  we  left  home 1  at  four  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  taking  leave  of  those  with  whom  God  had 
joined  us  fast  in  spirit,  they  committiug  us,  and  we  them, 
with  tenderness  of  heart,  unto  the  gracious  protection 
of  the  Highest.  Although,  for  a  time,  separated  in  body, 
we  remained  most  closely  united  in  soul,  which  is,  al- 
ways and  everywhere,  one  and  the  same.  We  went  on 
foot  to  Oost[erend],  expecting  there  to  take  the  canal  boat, 
which  we  did,  at  six  or  half  past  six  o'clock,  after  waiting 
an  hour.  We  took  leave  finally  of  those  of  our  beloved 
and  very  worthy  friends  who  had  accompanied  us,  and  thus 
far  made  it  a  pleasant  journey  for  us.  Our  hearts  had  been 
strengthened  in  discoursing,  on  the  road,  of  God  and  his 
will  concerning  us,  and  of  the  disposition  and  readiness  of 
our  hearts,  as  we  then  felt,  to  endure  whatever  might  hap- 
pen, although  we  foresaw  there  would  be  enough  to  mortify 
us.  We  arrived  at  B[olsward]  about  eight  o'clock,  where 
we  discovered  the  reason  why  there  were  so  few  people 
in  the  boat  and  tavern.  The  ringing  of  the  bells  announced 
it  was  a  holiday,  namely,  Ascension  day,  which  suited  us 
very  well,  as  we  thus  had  an  opportunity  of  being  alone  in 
the  tavern,  and  eating  out  of  our  knapsack  a  little  breakfast, 
while  waiting  for  the  treckschuit  to  leave.  We  were  pleased, 
while  we  were  in  the  tavern,  to  see  some  persons  come  in, 
on  behalf  of  the  schout,  who  was  then  on  a  visit  to  all 


1  Thetinga-State,  at  Wiewerd,  in  Friesland. 


I 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


the  inns  in  the  city,  looking  after  drunkards  and  other  dis- 
orderly persons  liable  to  punishment.  When  the  time 
arrived,  we  stepped  on  hoard  the  canal  boat,  where  we  found 
fow  people:  hut  these  passed  the  whole  way  in  tattling, 
principally  about  a  certain  miser  who  had  died  and  cheated 
his  friends,  leaving  them  to  find  more  than  they  believed 
could  be  found.  As  our  own  thoughts  were  otherwise 
employed,  this  talk  was  very  annoying  to  us.  We  reached 
Wforkum]1  before  the  hour  fixed  for  departure  from  there. 
Meanwhile,  however,  we  went  to  the  Amsterdam  packet, 
on  board  of  which  there  were  different  kinds  of  people, 
but  all  wicked.  Among  them  was  a  family  consisting  of 
father,  mother  and  children,  who  even  after  the  manner  of 
the  world,  were  not  spoken  of  much  better.  They  had  two 
daughters  of  a  very  easy  disposition.  We  had  the  good 
fortune  to  have  the  cabin  to  ourselves,  where  we  were  perfectly 
accommodated.  We  left  Workum  at  twelve  o'clock  with 
a  strong  head  wind,  but  open  sailing,  so  that  it  was  six 
o'clock  before  we  passed  Enkhuisen.  We  came  to  anchor 
before  Amsterdam  about  eleven  o'clock  at  night. 

9th,  Friday.  We  stepped  ashore  early  and  went  first  to 
look  after  our  ship,  the  Charles,  which  we  found  lying  in 
the  stream.  There  were  some  passengers  already  on  board. 
We  inquired  when  they  intended  to  sail.  The  mate,  who 
v  like  the  captain,  was  a  quaker,  answered,  "  to-morrow," 
that  is,  Saturday.  We  went  immediately  to  the  house  to 
which  our  chest  had  been  directed,  taking  another  with  us. 
We  lodged  there  as  long  as  we  were  at  Amsterdam.  The 
proprietor  made  no  objection  to  deliver  us  the  chest  which 

1  Workum  is  the  port,  on  the  west  shore  of  Friesland,  where  they  took 
the  packet  to  cross  the  Zuider  Zee  to  Amsterdam.  The  omission  of  the 
name  of  the  place  of  their  departure,  Wiewerd,  and  giving  only  the 
initials  of  Oosterend,  Bolsward  and  Workum,  indicate  some  prudential 
motive  for  concealment  of  their  movements  on  the  part  of  the  travelers, 
probably  the  same  as  induced  them  to  give  themselves  fictitious  names,  to 
prevent  a  discovery  of  the  plans  of  the  community,  which  might  happen 
in  case  their  journal  should  be  lost. 


AMSTERDAM,  BUIKSLOOT. 


5 


had  arrived  before  us,  upon  our  showing  what  we  brought. 
This  done,  we  went  to  Margaret's,1  to  whom  we  spoke  of 
ourselves,  voyage  and  purpose,  and  who  showed  us  some 
attention.  All  this  was  accomplished  before  noon-time, 
when  we  went  to  our  lodgings  to  rest  ourselves.  The  house 
beiDg  full  of  people  the  whole  time,  it  was  very  difficult 
for  us,  though  we  obtained  abed  room,  to  be  tolerably  alone 
during  the  day ;  but  as  the  people  who  carried  on  this 
business  would  have  been  willing  to  have  much  money  spent, 
and  as  it  was  not  for  us  to  do  so,  we  went  out  a  great  deal 
into  different  parts  of  the  city,  and  returned  there  in  the 
evening,  where  we  slept  together. 

10//',  Saturday.  We  performed  some  errands,  and  also 
spoke  again  to  Margaret,  inquiring  of  her  when  the  ship 
would  leave.  She  answered  she  had  given  orders  to  have 
everything  in  readiness  to  sail  to-day,  but  she  herself  was 
of  opinion  it  would  not  be  before  Monday.  We  offered 
her  the  money  to  pay  for  our  passage,  but  she  refused  to 
receive  it  at  that  time,  saying  she  was  tired  and  could  not 
be  troubled  with  it  that  day.  We  had  some  conversation 
with  her,  and  she  asked  us  if  we  were  not  such  and  such 
persons,  who  lived  at  such  a  place,  to  which  we  generally 
answered,  yes. 

In  the  afternoon  we  took  on  board  our  chest  and  what 
we  deemed  necessary  for  the  voyage,  by  means  of  an  ordi- 
nary row-boat.  We  reached  the  boom  without  the  least 
remark,  as  the  officers  of  the  customs  were  employed  with 
a  lighter  inspecting  some  wine  of  which  they  needs  must 
taste.  We  selected  our  berth,  put  our  bed-clothes  in  it, 
and  requested  the  mate  to  keep  the  berth  for  us,  which 
was  next  to  the  large  hatchway,  according  to  Margaret's 
orders.    We  then  returned  to  our  lodgings. 

11th,  Sunday.  Not  being  able  to  do  anything  in  the  city, 


1  Margaret  Filipse. 


0 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


we  determined  to  cross  over  the  Y1  to  Buiksloot,  where 
we  went  to  hear  the  preaching,  which  was  wretched.  It 
was  hy  an  old  minister  and  according  to  the  doctrines  of 
Voetius.  His  text  was  of  the  seed  sown  among  thorns. 
"We  had  hitherto  eaten  out  of  our  provision  hasket  without 
refreshment,  and  we  therefore  took  the  opportunity  now  to 
refresh  ourselves  a  little.  "We  went  at  noon  to  Nieuwendarn 
and  heard  a  sermon  by  a  person  who  had  recently  settled 
there.  He  gave  a  short  exposition  of  his  opinions,  from 
winch  we  clearly  saw  that  he  was  a  Cocceian ;  and  he  seemed 
zealous,  hut  not  serious  or  earnest  enough.  "We  recrossed 
the  river  in  the  evening  and  went  to  our  lodgings. 

12//i,  Monday.  This  whole  day  we  were  in  expectation  of 
the  ship's  leaving,  and  therefore  went  out  continually  to 
see  about  it ;  but  it  was  to  no  purpose.  I  went  again  to 
incmire  at  the  house  of  Margaret,  hut  could  obtain  no 
assurance.  Our  lodging  house  was  the  while  constantly 
full  of  drunkards,  and  we  did  as  well  as  we  could  to  avoid 
them. 

lBthj  Tuesday.  The  ship  still  lying  in  the  stream  s  we 
expected  she  would  sail ;  but  no  word  coming  from  her  at 
the  time,  we  went  on  board  and  found  there  more  passen- 
gers than  before.  We  inquired  again  of  the  new  mate 
when  they  had  determined  to  leave,  but  we  could  obtain  no 
information.  The  mates  advised  us  to  go  to  the  Texel  and 
wait  there  for  the  ship,  and  this,  for  other  reasons,  we  con- 
cluded to  do.  I  saw  to-day  a  certain  cooper  who  had  visited 
us  several  times  at  A[ltona]  and  who  conversed  very 
familiarly  chez  la  famine  reforrne1,  and  I  believe  comes  also  to 
the  assembly  of  Mons.  B.  He  looked  at  me,  but  made  no 
salutation,  and  passed  along.  This  is  the  only  one  of  my 
accmaintauce  whom  I  have  seen  at  Amsterdam. 

lAth,  Wednesday.  Having  resolved  to  go  to  Texel  to-day, 
whether  the  ship  left  or  not,  we  prepared  ourselves  for  the 


1  The  river  or  inlet  upon  which  Amsterdam  is  situated,  is  so  called. 


THE  ZUIDER  ZEE. 


7 


journey.  We  took  dinner  with  our  host  and  paid  him  for 
our  lodging  there.  About  seven  o'clock  we  went  in  the 
Texel  barge,  where  we  found  many  passengers,  but  it  was 
ten  o'clock  at  night  before  we  got  off.  After  leaving  the 
piles  we  had  a  strong  head  wind,  which  gradually  increased 
to  blow  so  hard  that  we  could  scarcely  keep  before  it,  fear- 
ing otherwise  to  sail  ashore. 

loth,  Thursday.  We  passed  Enkuisen  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  had  then  to  proceed  against  the  wind  with  hard 
weather.  We  kept  tacking  with  great  assiduity  till  about 
midday,  when  the  tide  compelled  us  to  stop,  and  we  came 
to  anchor  under  the  Vlieter.1  The  boat  being  full  of 
drinking  people,  there  had  been  no  rest  the  whole  night. 
My  good  friend  [Sluyter,  or  Vorstman]  was  sea  sick, 
and  particularly  suffered  from  the  tooth  ache,  but  felt  better 
after  taking  a  little  of  his  usual  medicine.  The  wind  sub- 
siding somewhat,  and  the  tide  having  fallen,  some  of  our 
passengers  were  put  on  board  a  ship-of-war,  which  was 
riding  at  anchor  under  the  Vlieter,  and  then  we  pro- 
ceeded on  our  course  to  Texel.  Tacking  until  in  the  eve- 
ning, as  far  as  the  Oude  Schild,  we  came  near  being  run 
down,  which  happened  in  this  way.  There  came  a  small 
English  ship  in  from  sea,  when  an  English  galiot,  lying 
close  in  shore,  weighed  anchor  and  set  sail  in  order  to  speak 
to  her.  Coming  down  close  before  the  wind,  they  were  just 
going  to  speak  to  the  ship,  when  we  lay  on  their  bow  in 
order  to  wear  about.  They  kept  on  their  course  taking  no 
notice  of  us,  when  we  shouted  and  screamed  out  to  them ; 
but  they  did  not  hear  us  until  we  came  close  to  them  and 
redoubled  our  cries,  when  they  hauled  off.  It  was  a  narrow 
escape,  as  they  were  within  two  inches  of  being  right  upon 
us ;  but  as  there  was  a  ship-of- war's  boat  on  our  vessel,  we 
were  probably  in  no  great  danger  of  losing  our  lives,  since 
by  means  of  that  we  could  have  saved  ourselves.    We  landed 


1 A  shoal  in  the  Zuider  Zee,  opposite  the  island  of  Wicringen. 


8 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YOKE. 


at  the  Oudc  Schild  about  half  past  nine  in  the  evening,  and 
took  lodgings  at  the  Jfof  van  Vrieslantf  one  of  the  princi- 
pal inns,  although  we  had  been  recommended  to  the 
Moriaens  Jlooff.2  but  that  did  not  suit  us,  because  it  was 
mostly  frequented  by  tipplers.  Having  taken  something 
to  eat,  we  retired  together  to  rest  in  a  quiet  little  chamber 
which  they  prepared  for  us. 

lQth,  Friday.  My  companion  still  suffering  from  the  tooth 
ache  and  also  a  pain  in  the  stomach,  remained  in  bed  till 
noon,  when  he  found  himself  better.  We  dined  witli  our 
landlord  and  then  wrote  a  letter  home,  which  we  posted. 
We  were  in  momentary  expectation  of  the  arrival  of  our 
ship,  for  which  we  were  constantly  on  the  look  out;  but  as 
it  continued  blowing  hard  with  a  contrary  wind,  we  did 
not  discover  any  thing  of  her,  and,  by  force,  took  this  time 
to  recruit  ourselves  a  little. 

17/A,  Saturday.  Waited  for  our  ship  the  whole  day,  but 
saw  nothing  of  her. 

18^,  Sunday.  Went  to  hear  preaching  this  morning  at 
Oude  Schild  by  a  very  poor  man,  both  in  body  and  mind, 
lie  was  crooked  in  face  and  feet,  up  and  down,  in  and  out; 
but  displeasing  as  he  was  to  look  at,  he  endeavored  to 
please  eveiybody.  His  text  was,  "  humble  yourselves  under 
the  mighty  hand  of  God."  We  went  in  the  afternoon  to 
the  Burgh,  the  principal  village  on  the  island,  walking 
along  the  dunes  and  sea  shore,  where  we  were  amused  by 
the  running  about  of  an  incalculable  number  of  rabbits. 
We  went  along  the  outside  of  the  strand,  and  had  a  view 
of  the  breakers  of  the  North  sea,  which  were  driven 
against  the  shore  by  the  northwest  wind.  In  going  around 
the  Burgh  we  came  to  a  brewer,  the  only  one,  not  only 
in  that  place,  but  on  the  island.  Wc  drank  of  his  beer, 
which  in  our  opinion  was  better  than  any  we  had  found  on 


1  Court  of  Frieslaml. 

2  Moor's  Head. 


TEXEL.    ON  BOARD  SHIP. 


9 


our  journey.  Being  a  Mennonist  lie  would  gladly  have 
entertained  us  with  pleasant  conversation,  hut  admonished 
of  the  time,  we  returned  to  our  lodgings  at  Oude  Schild. 

19/A,  Monday.  We  looked  out  again  for  our  ship,  going 
along  the  dyke  to  Oostereind,  a  considerahle  village,  hut 
we  saw  no  signs  of  her.  We  therefore  left  the  shore  and 
returned  home  inland,  passing  through  another  small 
village,  called  Seelt. 

20th,  Tuesday.  Perceiving  nothing  of  our  ship  we  hegan 
to  feel  very  anxious,  for  besides  being  at  much  expense  for 
our  lodgings,  we  were  sometimes  compelled  to  eat  with 
very  godless  men.  Our  lodging  house  was  the  one  most  fre- 
quented by  the  superior  officers  of  the  ships-of-war,  of 
which  there  were  seven  or  eight  lying  there  ready  to  con- 
voy different  fleets  to  various  parts. 

"We  went  in  the  afternoon  to  the  Hoorn,  quite  a  large 
village  west  of  the  Oude  Schild.  "When  we  had  passed 
through  it,  we  found  ourselves  near  the  dunes,  over  which 
we  crossed  to  the  beacon,  walking  upon  the  shore  to  the 
extreme  point  of  the  island,  from  whence  we  saw  the  Helder 
before  us  on  the  other  side,  and  between,  the  two  mouths  of 
Texel's  deep,  observing  how  the  lines  agreed  with  the 
beacons.  Time  running  on,  we  returned  to  the  Hoorn, 
where  we  were  compelled  to  drink  once.  The  landlord  of 
the  house  was  a  papist,  who  quickly  took  us  to  be  Roman 
ecclesiastics,  at  which  we  laughed  between  us  for  his  so 
deceiving  himself.  He  began  to  open  his  heart  very  freely, 
;n id  would  have  told  us  all  his  secrets  if  we  had  asked  him; 
but  we  cut  off  the  conversation,  and  answered  his  questions 
with  civility.  When  we  reached  home  in  the  evening,  we 
saw  some  ships  had  arrived,  and  siupposed  certainly  one  of 
tlicni  was  ours;  but,  as  it  was  dark,  we  were  compelled  to 
wait  till  next  morning. 

21st,  Wednesday.  As  soon  as  we  had  taken  a  little  break- 
fast we  went  along  the  dyke  to  Oostereind,  near  which  the 
9 


10 


voyaoi-:  to  ni;\v  york. 


ships  had  come  to  anchor.  As  we  approached  the  place, 
we  could  no  longer  doubt  ours  was  there,  which  we  were 
the  first  to  discover.  "We  therefore  hired  a  hoat  immedi- 
ately and  went  on  hoard,  when  we  not  only  found  it  was  our 
ship,  hut  that  she  was  full  and  overladen.  8he  was  so  full  of 
passengers  of  all  kinds,  and  so  -towed,  thai  we  -aw  no 
chance  of  finding  a  place  in  which  to  sleep,  and  there  were 
scarcely  any  of  our  goods  to  he  found.  The  berth,  which 
we  had  selected,  had  been  taken  by  others,  which  there  was 
no  use  of  resisting;  but  it  caused  us  no  regret,  as  we 
thereby  secured  another  near  the  cables,  almost  entirely  out 
of  the  way,  and  always  removed  from  the  greatest  noise. 
"We  determined  to  go  ashore  and  come  back  the  next  day  ; 
but  after  taking  our  dinner  then'  and  paying  our  landlord, 
we  returned  on  board.  When  we  came  on  the  ship,  they 
began  immediately  to  inquire  of  us  about  everything,  and 
we  answered  them  discreetly  and  civilly.  Among  others 
who  thus  made  themselves  conspicuous,  was  Jan,  whom  we 
did  not  know,  and  whose  deportment  did  not  accord  with 
what  we  had  imagined  of  him ;  but  we  supposed  he  was 
one  of  the  passengers,  and  one  of  the  best,  and  most  slovenly, 
lie  asked  my  comrade  if  we  were  not  of  such  a  people, 
expressly  naming  them,  who  answered  him  according 
to  his  and  our  condition.  After  we  had  been  on  hoard 
some  time,  seeing  we  obtained  no  place,  I  went  myself  to 
look  after  one  and  observed  where  we  could  make  a  herth. 
I  spoke  to  the  captain,  who  had  the  chests  removed  and  a 
berth  arranged  for  us  on  the  larboard  side  near  the  fore- 
hatch  ;  hut  as  the  cable  was  lying  there  so  that  it  could  not 
be  stretched  out  as  long  as  it  ought,  and  as  there  was  room 
enough,  I  took  a  little  old  rope  and  set  to  work  to  lengthen 
it  out,  which  I  accomplished  hefore  evening,  so  that  we 
could  sleep  there  that  night.  Certainly  we  had  reason  to 
thank  the  Lord  that  he  had  given  us  a  berth  in  a  more 
quiet  place  than  we  ourselves  had  chosen,  which  he  had  of 


SETTING  SAIL. 


11 


his  will  allowed  to  be  taken  from  us.  His  providence  truly 
extends  over  all  things  and  his  foolishness  is  wiser  than  the 
wisdom  of  men,  and  sometimes  even  of  his  children. 

22d,  Thursday.  We  slept  little  during  the  night  in  con- 
sequence of  the  clatter  of  so  many  godless  and  detestable 
men,  and  the  noise  of  children  and  others.  "We  had,  how- 
ever, to  content  ourselves.  I  went  in  search  of  our  chest, 
which  was  stowed  away  in  the  bow,  but  to  no  purpose,  as 
it  was  necessary  to  creep  on  hands  and  knees  to  get  in 
there.  We  remained  in  the  hope  it  would  come  to  light  at 
Falmouth.  The  ship  was  so  low  between  decks,  that  sit- 
ting on  the  chest  we  could  not  sit  upright  even  between 
the  beams,  for  it  was  only  about  three  feet  high.  But  we 
were  here  in  the  forecastle  well  content. 

23rf,  Friday.  My  comrade  wrote  a  letter  home.  Our  cap- 
tain having  caused  the  boat  to  be  made  ready  in  order  to 
go  with  his  wife  to  another  English  ship,  we  requested  per- 
mission to  accompany  him  ashore.  He  roundly  refused  us ; 
and  we  had  to  wait  for  a  boat  to  pass  and  hail  it, 
which  we  did.  Having  posted  the  letter  on  shore,  and 
refreshed  ourselves  somewhat,  we  started  to  go  on  board 
again.  We  found  our  boat,  when  our  captain  and  the 
captain  of  the  English  ship  came  up.  Our  skipper  asked 
us  if  we  would  accompany  them,  to  whom  we  civilly 
replied,  and  so  went  on  board  with  them  in  the  evening. 
The  sailors  had  caught  some  plaice  which  were  for  the 
guests  in  the  cabin.    I  assisted  in  cleaning  them. 

24tJt,  Saturday.  The  wind  was  southeast,  the  same  as  yes- 
terday, which  made  us  all  very  anxious  for  Margaret  to 
arrive,  so  that  we  might  not  miss  a  good  wind.  Jan  and 
some  others  of  the  passengers  were  much  dissatisfied,  and 
said :  "We  know  very  well  where  she  is.  She  is  in  Fries- 
land."  Upon  this  Jan  declared,  "  if  this  wind  blows  over 
our  heads,  I  will  write  her  a  letter  which  will  make  her 
ears  tingle,"  and  used  many  other  rude  expressions.  He 


12 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


was  one  of  the  greatest  of  grumblers,  and  even  against 
her.  He  revealed  himself  more  freely  in  a  conversation 
with  my  companion,  from  which  we  could  clearly  discover 
that  he  was  of  the  feelings  of  Bohecm,1  though  he  denied 
he  had  ever  read  his  hooks.  He  also  expressed  himself 
profanely  and  in  very  foul  language,  worse  than  the  foulest 
sailor  or  dockdoper  would  have  done.  The  wind  changed 
towards  evening,  and  thus  this  day  passed  with  murmuring, 
and  we  doubted  no  longer  that  this  was  Master  John.- 

25th,  Sunday.  It  blew  very  hard  from  the  west  so  that 
we  had  to  lower  the  topmasts  and  let  drop  the  sheet  anchor. 
"We  saw  at  daylight  a  yacht  coming  down  to  us  before  the 
wind  and  were  rejoiced  to  find  that  Margaret  was  on  hoard, 
with  some  other  females.  The  yacht  not  coming  well  up, 
our  captain  sent  a  boat  to  her,  but  they  could  not  reach  her 
on  account  of  the  current.  However,  the  yacht  succeeded 
in  coming  along  side  of  us,  and  Margaret  came  on  board 
with  her  little  daughter,  and  a  Westphalian  woman,  who  was 
a  widow,  and  a  girl,  both  of  whom  were  in  her  service,  and 
to  go  as  passengers.  They  were  welcomed  by  all,  and  all 
of  them  came  and  shook  us  by  the  hand.  Some  said  they 
thought  she  had  been  to  Friesland.  Whereupon  she 
answered:  "How  do  you  know  where  I  have  been?" 
We  had  nothing  to  detain  us  now,  except  the  wind. 

26th,  Monday.  The  wind  began  to  blow  a  little  from  the 
south,  but  calmly.  It  veered  round  more  and  more  to  the 
southeast  so  that  we  determined  to  get  under  sail.  We 
therefore  took  a  pilot,  weighed  anchor,  and  set  sail  about 
ten  or  eleven  o'clock.  We  sailed  smoothly  onward  to  the 
Helder.  The  pilot  had  a  brother  who  was  older,  and  had 
been  a  pilot  longer  than  he  had,  and  who  sailed  ahead  of 

1  Jacob  Boehme,  the  German  theosopliist. 

2  The  reference  to  Friesland  alludes,  no  doubt,  to  the  community  at 
Wiewerd;  but  the  connection  of  both  Margaret  Filipse  and  Jan  with  that 
society,  so  distinctly  hinted  in  this  day's  joiornal,  and  more  obscurely  before, 
are  left  without  any  further  explanation. 


SHIP  AGROUND. 


13 


us  in  the  pilot  boat,  continually  sounding  the  depth  of 
water  with  the  deep  lead.  When  we  were  going  by  the 
Oude  Schild  there  came  a  barge  off  with  two  more  women 
who  desired  to  go  with  us  ;  but  as  they  could  not  reach  the 
ship,  the  pilot  boat  went  after  them  and  took  them  on  board 
of  her,  where  they  had  to  remain  until  the  ship  arrived  out- 
side. It  was  about  two  o'clock  when  we  came  in  the  chan- 
nel of  the  Land's-diep  or  Meuwe  diep.  You  run  from 
Oude  Schild  strait  to  the  Helder,  and  so  close  to  the  shore 
that  you  can  throw  a  stone  upon  it,  until  you  have  the 
capes  on  this  point  opposite  each  other,  namely,  the  two 
small  ones  ;  for  to  the  westward  of  these  there  is  a  large 
one  which  is  not  to  be  regarded.  Having  the  capes  thus 
opposite  each  other,  you  are  in  the  middle  of  the  channel 
and  by  the  first  buoy.  The  current  runs  outside  along  the 
shore,  east  and  west,  to  wit :  the  ebb  tide  westerly,  and  the 
flood  easterly,  and  also  very  strong.  The  ebb  runs  until  it 
is  half  flood.  There  are  still  two  other  channels,  the  old 
one  which  is  the  middle  one,  and  the  Spanish  channel 
stretching  to  the  east.  "We  had  reached  the  middlemost 
buoy  when  it  became  entirely  calm,  for  which  reason  we 
could  hardly  steer  the  ship,  and,  in  the  meanwhile,  the  cur- 
rent was  steadily  setting  us  over  to  the  west  bank.  Here- 
upon a  dispute  arose  between  the  pilot  in  our  ship  and 
those  in  the  pilot  boat  going  ahead  of  us.  The  one  in  the 
ship  on  throwing  the  lead  and  finding  it  begin  to  be  shal- 
low, and  seeing,  moreover,  that  the  current  was  driving  us 
more  upon  the  shoal,  was  of  opinion  that  we  should  wear 
ship,  which  his  brother  was  not  willing  to  do,  saying  that 
she  should  stand  over  further.  This  continued  so  long  that 
at  last  it  became  entirely  dry,  when  he  wished  to  tack  about; 
hut  it  could  not  then  be  done  in  consequence  of  the  cur- 
rent running  with  so  much  force  upon  shallow  ground,  and 
carrying  the  ship  violently  against  the  shoal,  where  the  cur- 
rent ran  obliquely.    They  got  out  the  boat  at  the  bow  of 


14 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  TORE. 


the  ship  to  row,  which  would  not  yield  in  consequence  of 
the  strong  current  which  also  drove  the  boat  as  well  as  the 
ship  ;  so  that,  in  a  word,  we  were  aground  on  the  west  hank 
of  the  channel,  and  although  the  water  was  nearly  at  its 
lowest  there  was  still  a  strong  ebb  tide.  Immediately  there 
was  great  clamor  and  running  to  and  fro  both  of  seamen 
and  those  not  acquainted  with  navigation.  Every  one  was 
alarmed,  and  every  one  did  his  best  in  that  respect,  the 
more  so,  because  there  was  not  far  from  us  the  wreck  of  a 
ship  with  her  masts  .-ticking  out  of  water,  though  it  was  on 
the  east  side  of  the  channel.  Nevertheless,  we  remained 
fast,  and  the  ship  began  to  thump  hard  and  fall  entirely  on 
one  side.  They  ran  straitway  to  the  pumps,  hut  found 
no  leak.  The  pilot  remained  in  good  spirits,  though  put 
out  and  angry  with  his  brother,  who  had  misled  us,  and  who, 
in  consequence  of  the  strength  of  the  current,  and  the  light- 
ness of  the  wind,  could  not  come  on  board  of  us.  They 
said  we  were  in  no  danger,  although  it  looked  very  strange, 
as  the  current  had  washed  the  sand  very  much  from  under 
the  lee  of  the  ship  whereby  she  had  fallen  much  on  her  side. 
But  we  hoped  with  the  flood  tide  she  would  come  off"  again. 

There  were  several  passengers,  not  only  women,  but  men, 
and  some  of  the  bravest,  who  began  to  secure  the  best  they 
had,  and  were  ready  and  looking  out  how  they  might  safely 
reach  the  land.  But  the  Lord  possessed  us  with  his  grace. 
Though  seeing  all  this  and  knowing  the  danger,  I  was  dis- 
turbed by  it.  Margaret  proposed  throwing  some  of  the 
cargo  overboard,  but  the  pilot  and  I  dissuaded  her  from  it. 
The  captain  wished  to  start  the  tanks  of  fresh  water,  hut 
we  hindered  him.  Of  all  the  men  in  the  ship  I  saw  no  one 
who  was  so  frightened  as  Jan.  He  ran  backwards  and  for- 
wards and  hardly  knew  what  he  said  or  did.  This  hap- 
pened about  half  past  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and 
as  we  had  not  yet  taken  any  dinner,  and  could  effect 
nothing  as  long  as  the  ship  was  fast,  the  victuals  were 


DESCRIPTION  OP  TEXEL. 


15 


brought  out  to  be  eaten.  We  sat  before  the  hut  and  eat ; 
but  we  had  not  finished  when  I  perceived  the  ship  dragging, 
as  had  been  predicted.  I  sprang  up  quickly  and  cried  out : 
"  We  are  afloat;  the  ship's  afloat."  Immediately  thereupon 
the  whole  ship  was  in  commotion.  The  victuals  were 
removed,  the  boat  put  to  the  bow,  and  every  one  did  his 
best,  rowing  as  well  as  he  could.  The  ship,  floating  more 
and  more,  gave  some  good  pushes  and  was  brought  into 
four  fathoms  of  water,  in  the  middle  of  the  channel,  and 
there  anchored.  My  companion  and  myself  thanked  God 
in  our  hearts,  and  all  were  very  much  rejoiced.  But  no 
sooner  was  the  danger  over,  which  had  somewhat  bridled 
the  godlessness  of  these  bad  men,  than  they  returned  to 
their  old  courses,  with  cursing  and  foul  language.  They 
were  not  affected  in  the  least  by  what  had  happened,  nor 
by  God's  gracious  preservation  of  us.  Truly  was  his  hand 
visible,  for  it  remained  perfectly  calm,  so  the  ship  labored 
very  little.  It  would  otherwise  have  been  all  over  with 
us,  for  our  ship  not  being  the  strongest,  and  being  more- 
over very  heavily  laden,  if  the  wind  had  changed  'to  the 
east  and  forced  us  on  a  lee  shore,  she  would  have  soon 
gone  to  pieces;  or  if  we  had  grounded  on  the  opposite  side, 
which  might  easily  have  happened,  there  would  have  been 
little  probability  of  her  getting  off,  because  the  flood  tide 
would  have  driven  us  higher  up,  especially  if  it  had  blown 
somewhat  hard.  The  flood  having  run  in  and  a  light 
breeze  springing  out  of  the  S.  E.  and  S.  S.  E.,  the  anchor 
was  raised  and  in  a  short  time  we  came  outside,  having 
been  there  about  six  hours.  The  pilot  was  paid,  and 
he  left  the  ship ;  the  women  whom  he  had  taken  in  his 
boat  were  put  on  board  and  we  bid  him  adieu,  and  set 
our  course. 

Before  we  proceed  further  we  will  say  a  word  concerning 
the  island  of  Texel,  where  we  were  about  eight  days, 
although  the  island  is  well  known.    It  is  said  to  be  twenty- 


1G 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


eight  miles1  in  circumference,  and  in  nearly  oval  in  form. 
The  shore,  inside  along  the  Texel  deep,  is  dyked ;  on  the 
outside,  along  the  North  sea,  it  is  heset  with  dunes.  There 
are  six  villages,2  namely  Oostereind,  Seelt,  the  Jloogh,  the 
Burgh,  which  is  the  principal  one,  and  has  privileges  like 
a  city,  such  as  that  of  inflicting  capital  punishment  and 
others;  the  Oude  Scliild,  which  is  mostly  resorted  to  hy  ships, 
the  Hoorn,  and  also  the  West  End,  which  has  now  fallen 
into  decay.  We  saw  four  of  them  but  not  the  Hoogh  which 
lay  out  of  the  way,  and  the  West  End  which  had  fallen 
into  decay.  Inland  the  country  is  rough,  and  some  of  it 
high,  so  that  there  are  few  ditches,  except  in  the  low  lands 
for  the  most  part  on  the  side  of  Texel's  deep.  Otherwise 
they  protect  their  land  with  small  dykes  of  earth.  The 
soil  is  sandy,  which  afFords  very  good  water  in  the  high 
places.  The  meadow  lands  are  somewhat  dry,  hut  yield  a 
fine  grass.  The  inhabitants  gain  their  livelihood,  for  the 
most  part,  by  raising  sheep  and  making  Texel  cheese.  The 
sheep  are  smaller,  but  fatter  and  more  hardy  than  they  are 
in  Eriesland.  They  seldom  bring  forth  two  young  at  a 
birth,  and  when  they  do,  one  usually  is  killed  in  order  that 
the  other  may  be  better  nourished.  The  inhabitants  have 
cows  for  their  own  use.  The  dyke  is  not  high  or  thick,  but 
is  lined  with  wia>i  a  kind  of  sea  grass,  which  they  put  together 
and  lay  against  the  dyke  somewhat  higher  than  the  earth 
work.  Piles  are  driven  outside  to  hold  this  wier  against  it, 
and  prevent  the  sea  from  washing  it  away.  This  dyke  is 
repaired  every  year  by  contract.  Many  fishermen  and 
pilots  live  along  it,  both  qualifications  generally  being  in 
the  same  person,  as  well  as  the  other  pursuits  pertaining  to 
navigation.    There  are  about  five  hundred  pilots  in  all 

1  The  distances  and  measurements  -will  continue  to  be  rendered,  as  in 
this  instance,  according  to  the  English  scales. 

2  There  were  according  to  this  enumeration,  seven  villages ;  five  instead 
of  four  of  which  were  visited  by  them. 


PILOTS.   OUTSIDE  THE  COAST. 


17 


living  on  the  island  of  Texel,  as  can  be  seen  by  the  num- 
bers which  they  carry  on  their  sails  or  wings. 

The  law  is  that  no  ship  can  go  in  or  out  without  a  pilot ; 
and  in  case  any  captain  will  not  take  a  pilot,  he  is  never- 
theless bound  to  pay  the  fees  of  one,  and  in  case  the 
captain  will  not  pay  them,  the  pilots  can  go  to  Amsterdam 
and  there  obtain  it  at  the  expense  of  the  captain.  And  if 
the  captain  take  no  pilot  and  an  accident  happen,  the  con- 
sequences fall  upon  him ;  but  I  believe  this  first  rule  only 
applies  to  ships  belonging  to  Amsterdam  or  other  ports  in 
Holland;  and  that  foreign  ships  are  more  free  in  that  respect, 
but  cannot  relieve  themselves  from  the  second.  The 
pilots  who  bring  in  ships  from  the  outside  bring  them  to 
the  Texel  roadstead  or  the  Helder,  and  others  take  them  to 
Amsterdam  or  elsewhere ;  and  those  who  take  them  from 
Amsterdam,  go  no  further  than  the  Texel  road  or  the  Vlie, 
and  other  pilots  carry  them  out  to  sea.  The  fees  of  the 
pilots  is  a  guilder  a  foot  for  every  foot  the  ship  draws, 
though  any  sum  may  be  fixed  by  agreement. 

During  the  whole  time  we  were  there  we  saw  few  or  no 
fish,  though  we  supposed  this  was  the  place  for  fish.  "We 
remarked  further  that  the  inhabitants  of  Texel  were  more 
polite  than  the  boors  of  Friesland.  A  large  portion  of 
them  are  inclined  to  Rome.  There  was  no  home  brewed 
beer  tapped  in  the  taverns,  but  it  was  all  foreign  beer,  and 
this  I  suppose  was  for  the  purpose  of  saving  the  excise. 
They  are  under  the  jurisdiction  of  West  Friesland  and  the 
particular  government  of  the  city  of  Alckmaer,  whose 
weights  and  measures  they  use.  West  of  the  Oude  Schild 
there  is  a  small  fortification  with  four  points  and  two 
redoubts  on  the  dyke,  and  some  small  batteries ;  but  they 
afford  little  protection  to  the  place,  and  still  less  to  the 
harbor.  It  was  closed  and  without  men,  when  we  were 
there.  When  we  first  came  there,  the  people,  unaccus- 
tomed to  see  such  persons,  regarded  us  as  some  individuals  in 
3 


18 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


particular.  The  innkeepers  took  us  to  be  farmers  of  the 
revenue,  especially  of  brandies,  and  supposed  our  presence 
there  was  to  prevent  their  smuggling,  as  they  themselves 
told  us.  The  Roman  Catholics,  as  they  declared,  looked 
upon  us  as  priests ;  the  Mennonists,  as  a  class  of  their  ex- 
horters ;  and  the  ordinary  Reformed,  as  preachers ;  whereby 
they  all  showed  they  did  not  know  us  in  truth,  according 
to  the  word  in  Christ  Jesus. 

Leaving  Texel  and  the  land  we  came  outside  the  coast, 
laying  our  course  8.  W.  with  a  S.  E.  wind,  with  which  we 
sailed  some  distance  from  the  shore.  Towards  evening 
the  wind  began  to  blow  from  the  S.  and  S.  S.  W.  quite 
hard,  and  so  we  stood  off  through  the  whole  night.  I  do 
not  know  that  I  ever  had  in  my  life  so  severe  a  pain  in  the 
breast  as  I  had  this  evening,  whether  it  was  from  hard 
work  or  change  of  our  condition. 

27ih,  Tuesday.  The  wind  from  the  same  quarter  as 
before,  but  blowing  harder,  for  which  reason  we  reefed 
our  topsails.  We  had  twenty-six  and  twenty-eight  fathoms 
of  water.  By  evening  it  was  somewhat  calmer;  but  as 
the  wind  was  not  steady  we  stood  off  from  the  shore. 

28th,  Wednesday.  Finding  ourselves  in  twenty-five  and 
twenty-six  fathoms  of  water  and  the  wind  still  south 
and  southwest  we  sailed  over  by  the  wind.  It  continued 
to  blow  hard,  and  we  sailed  for  the  most  part  N".  by  E. 
and  X.  13T.  E.  It  annoyed  me  that  I  could  not  get  at  our 
chest,  in  order  to  obtain  my  charts  and  books  of  naviga- 
tion. Our  mate  and  others  observed  the  latitude,  and 
found  it  to  be  52°  16' ;  and  we  tacked  about.  The  wind 
continued  in  the  same  quarter,  sometimes  a  little  lighter, 
sometimes  sharper.  We  kept  mostly  a  S.  S.  E.  course, 
with  hard  weather  the  first  part  of  the  night. 

29?/t,  Thursday.  Having  twenty-six  and  twenty-seven 
fathoms  of  water  we  lay  over  again.  Every  day  there 
were  many  mackerel  caught,  which  for  several  days  were 


COAST  OF  FLANDERS.  DOVER. 


19 


for  the  cabin  only,  whatever  number  were  caught,  because 
they  were  taken  with  the  captain's  hooks  ;  but  the  passen- 
gers and  sailors  began  to  get  their  hooks  ready  also  and 
thus  every  one  began  to  catch  and  eat.  The  weather  was 
delightful.  I  had  obtained  my  things  out  of  the  chest,  and 
found  the  latitude  37°  18'.  We  stood  over  to  the  Flemish 
or  Zeelandish  coast,  calculating  we  were  not  far  from  Sluis 
and  Bruges.  I  therefore  went  aloft  frequently  to  look 
out  for  land.  We  saw  several  fishing  boats,  one  of  which 
we  hailed  toward  evening.  He  was  from  Zierick  zee,  and 
told  us  "Walcheren  was  about  twenty-eight  miles  E.  S.  E.  of 
us,  and  we  could  see  it  from  the  mast  head,  as  was  the  fact. 
We  laid  over  again  immediately.  It  now  began  to  blow 
more  from  the  S.  W.  and  S.  W.  by  W.  We  had  sailed 
the  last  night  west  by  north,  according  to  reckoning, 
twenty-eight  miles.  This  result  agreed  with  my  observa- 
tion less  than  four  miles,  and  that  of  our  mate,  named 
Evert.  But  the  captain's  and  the  English  mate's  calcula- 
tion brought  us  before  the  Maes,  as  Evert  told  me. 

We  sailed  now  for  a  day  or  two  among  great  quantities 
of  chub  fish  and  crabs  which  had  been  driven  off  from 
the  land  and  drowned,  which  caused  us  to  reflect  upon 
what  God  did  formerly  in  Egypt  and  elsewhere,  and  still 
often  does,  for  his  power  is  always  the  same,  although  it 
is  not  always  understood. 

30th,  Friday.  We  tacked  over  to  the  Flemish  coast  this 
morning  in  twenty-five  fathoms  of  water;  but  it  was  so 
calm  that  we  made  little  progress.  It  was  too  cloudy  to 
take  the  latitude.  The  wind  was  very  variable,  and  we 
could  not  keep  on  S.  W.,  or  even  south,  and  so  drifted  for 
the  most  part  with  the  tide. 

July  1st.  Saturday.  We  had  drifted  the  whole  night  in 
the  calm,  and  had  gone  backwards  instead  of  forwards ; 
but  in  the  morning  the  wind  began  to  blow  out  of  the  N. 
W.  and  N.  1ST.  W.  with  a  stiff  breeze.    We  therefore  set 


20 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


all  sail,  and  went  ahead  tolerably  well  on  a  straight  course 
W.  by  8.  and  W.  S.  "W.  against  the  current.  We  saw  land 
many  times  about  two  hours  distance,  both  on  the  star- 
board and  larboard,  that  on  the  starboard  being  the  point 
of  ])aver,  and  on  the  larboard,  the  point  of  Calais.  There 
was  a  free  wind  and  fine  weather,  though  a  little  haze  on 
the  horizon.  The  land  began  to  loom  up  more  distinctly, 
and  I  sketched  it  twice  with  crayon.  "We  continued  to 
catch  plenty  of  mackerel,  and  also  petcrman  and  whiting. 
"We  arrived  before  Dover  at  sunset,  when  wc  fired  a  gun, 
and  a  boat  came  oft'  to  us  immediately,  by  which  the  cap- 
tain sent  some  letters  ashore.  "We  inquired  of  them  the 
news,  and  they  answered  us  all  was  well ;  but  they  told 
the  captain  privately  that  30,000  Scotch  papists  had  taken 
up  arms  for  the  conspirators.1 

It  is  proper  I  should  say  something  here  of  the  Xorth 
sea.  In  case  you  are  driven  about  by  strong  contrary 
winds  and  cannot  obtain  the  latitude,  and,  indeed,  under 
any  circumstances,  you  should  use  the  deep  lead  frequently, 
for  the  depth  is  well  shown  on  the  chart,  and  often  you 
cannot  get  sight  of  the  land.  The  Flemish  coast  is  the 
least  dangerous,  although  the  English  is  the  most  surveyed, 
because  the  water  becomes  shoal  gradually.  You  may  get 
into  thirteen  and  fourteen  fathoms  of  water.  In  the  true 
channel  it  is  twenty  and  twenty-two  fathoms,  and  in  the 
middle  it  is  deeper,  namely,  twenty-six  and  twenty-eight 
and  over,  but  it  is  somewhat  more  uneven.  In  approach- 
ing the  English  coast  the  shoals  are  more  even  as  twenty- 
six,  eighteen,  seventeen  fathoms.  To  navigate  the  channel 
it  is  best  to  keep  nearest  the  Flemish  coast,  because  it 
affords  a  better  course,  and  the  current  makes  it  easy  to 
go  north,  and  the  sandbars  such  as  the  Galper  and  others, 
especially  Goyn,   are  more  to   be   avoided    than  the 


1This  refers  to  the  conspiracy  to  murder  Charles  II,  charged  by  Oates. 


ISLE  OP  WIGHT. 


21 


Flemish  banks ;  and,  moreover,  close  by  the  shore  it  is  very- 
deep,  yet  by  the  setting  of  the  current  to  the  north  you 
may  soon  be  upon  them,  that  is,  with  an  ebb  tide. 

2d,  Sunday.  Made  fair  progress  during  the  night.  We 
found  ourselves  in  the  morning  before  the  point  of  Beve- 
sier,1  which  I  sketched.  The  wind  was  northerly  with  a 
cool  air.  About  breakfast  time  a  large  English  ship  came 
up  behind  us,  which  we  hailed.  She  was  from  London 
and  bound  for  the  Straits.  She  had  much  sail  on,  and 
after  passing  us,  set  all  she  had ;  but  not  long  afterwards  a 
small  breeze  blowing  off  sbore,  she  was  compelled  to  begin 
to  take  in  her  topgallant-sails  and  upperstay-sails.  This 
was  scarcely  half  done  when  her  maintop-mast  and  mizzen- 
top-mast  went  by  the  board,  and  remained  hanging  on  the 
side  of  the  ship.  The  man  who  was  taking  in  the  topgal- 
lant-sail fell  overboard.  When  this  accident  happened  she 
was  only  a  short  distance  ahead  of  us ;  and  we,  therefore, 
all  ran  forward  to  the  forecastle  to  see  whether  there  were 
any  pieces  of  wood  at  our  bow  to  damage  us.  We  sailed 
by  her,  close  under  her  lee,  and  saw  somewhat  of  a  crowd 
running  about  the  ship.  Finally  they  launched  their  jolly- 
boat  for  the  purpose  of  looking  after  the  man  who  had 
fallen  overboard  with  the  top-mast.  Whether  there  were 
any  more  we  did  not  know,  and  as  we  sailed  ahead  of  them 
with  considerable  speed,  we  could  not  see  whether  they 
fished  any  one  up  or  not ;  but  the  ship  sailed  before  the 
wind  the  best  she  could,  when  her  top-mast  went  overboard; 
we  took  in  very  quickly  our  own  topgallant-sail,  which  we 
had  set,  but  more  from  precaution  than  necessity.  Shortly 
afterwards  it  was  so  calm  that  we  merely  drifted  along ; 
and  being  nearly  midway  between  Bevesier  and  the  Isle  of 
Wight,  and  the  ebb  tide  running  out,  we  were  compelled 
by  the  current  to  anchor  about  a  mile  from  the  shore. 


1  Beacliy  Head. 


22 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


About  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  Margaret  came  to 
me  while  I  was  engaged  in  sketching  the  Isle  of  "Wight. 
We  talked  over  various  matters  which  were  almost  the 
same  as  those  about  which  she  had  conversed  with  my 
companion  the  day  before,  and  I  therefore  met  her  with 
the  same  objections.1 

3d,  Monday.  We  did  not  advance  any  during  the  night, 
and  had  drifted  along;  but  a  breeze  springing  up  we  went 
ahead  a  little.  It  was  very  foggy,  so  that  we  could  not  see 
the  land.  It  cleared  up  in  the  afternoon,  when  we  found 
ourselves  off'  against  the  Isle  of  AVight ;  but  the  wind  sub- 
siding, and  the  tide  being  spent,  we  ran  for  the  point  of  the 
island,  and  came  to  anchor  in  ten  or  eleven  fathoms  near 
some  other  ships  which  were  waiting  thei'e  for  a  good 
wind  and  tide.  The  jolly-boat  was  launched  and  our 
Dutch  mate  and  two  other  persons  went  ashore  in  order  to 
see  if  they  could  obtain  some  fresh  provisions.  The  tide 
having  passed,  and  the  wind  shifting,  we  signaled  to  them 
to  come  on  board  again,  which  they  did  in  the  evening, 
when  we  were  already  most  under  sail.  They  brought 
nothing  with  them,  except  a  little  milk  which  served  us  as 
a  good  refreshment  for  this  evening.  Sailing  ahead,  we 
steered  above  the  point  with  the  wind  W.  S.  W.,  and  so 
gained  the  open  sea.  There  is  a  very  strong  current  here, 
and  hard  beating  along  the  shore  and  around  the  point. 
The  current  sent  us  ahead  more  than  the  wind.  The  coast 
is  quite  good  and  it  is  deep  enough  close  up  to  the  shore. 

4th,  Tuesday.  We  found  ourselves  in  the  morning  oppo- 
site Wight  with  the  wind  S.  S.  E.,  and  rpiite  still.  After 
a  while  there  came  up  a  breeze.  We  passed  Peveril 
point,  however,  with  the  ebb.  About  noon  a  flute-ship 
came  near  us  which  we  hailed.  She  was  from  Amsterdam, 
bound  to  Cadiz.    It  was  so  calm  in  the  evening  that  we 


1  What  these  subject-matters  were  do  not  appear. 


THE  EDDYSTONE. 


23 


rifted,  and  turned  round  several  times.  "We  perceivedd 
fifteen  or  eighteen  large  ships  on  the  French  coast,  which 
saluted  each  other  with  many  heavy  guns.  The  ehb  being 
spent,  we  came  to  anchor  again  in  twenty-one  fathoms  of 
water,  about  two  miles  from  the  shore.  The  flood  having 
run  out  by  evening,  we  weighed  anchor,  and  before  we  were 
under  sail  had  a  fresh  wind  astern.  We  therefore  set  all 
the  sail  we  could,  having  a  favorable  wind  and  tide,  by 
which  means  we  came  before  Portland. 

hth,  Wednesday.  "We  still  had  a  fair  wind  and  kept  our 
course  W.  by  S.  We  passed  Portland,  and  came  in  sight 
of  Goldstart,1  and  arrived  off  against  it  about  noon.  Our 
mate  was  of  opinion  that  we  had  run  by  the  rock  of 
Meeusteen  or  Jetstone,2  and  should  have  it  on  the  larboard ; 
but  on  looking  out  afterwards  we  found  it  right  before  us, 
about  four  miles  off.  "We  had  therefore  to  hold  up  and 
leave  it  on  the  starboard.  It  is  a  large  rock  having  its 
head  just  above  the  water.  It  rises  up  straight,  but  is  very 
much  hacked,  which  makes  it  look  like  a  reef.  Whenever 
the  sea  is  rough  it  is  under  water.  It  is  dangerous  enough, 
and  lies  far  out  in  the  channel,  farther  than  it  is  marked 
down  on  my  chart.  We  certainly  had  reason  here  again 
to  observe  the  care  of  the  Lord,  and  his  protection  through 
his  good  providence,  which  always  watches  paternally  over 
his  children,  shown  in  our  becoming  aware  of  this  rock 
before  the  evening,  and  just  before  the  evening,  for  we 
had  not  well  gone  by  it  before  it  was  dark.  If  we  had  been 
sailing  so  at  night,  or  if  we  had  not  now  discovered  it,  the 
mate's  calculation  being  as  it  was,  we  certainly  would  not 


. 1  Start  Point. 

2  The  Eddystone  is  here  meant  —  formerly  one  of  the  most  dangerous 
reefs  on  the  south  coast  of  England.  There  was  no  light-house  upon  it  at 
this  time.  The  first  one  was  commenced  in  169G ;  the  present  famous  one 
in  1759.  The  Dutch  name,  Meeusteen,  signifies  Mewstonc  — a  name 
derived  from  the  gull  or  sea  mew. 


24 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


missed  sailing  upon  it;  for  when  we  first  saw  it,  it  was 
straight  before  us,  and  we  were  sailing  with  a  fair  wind 
and  tide  up  to  it.  We  were  therefore  touched,  and  thankful 
to  the  Lord.  This  passed,  we  still,  while  the  sun  was 
going  down  clear,  made  Deadman's  head,  a  point  jutting 
out  from  England,  so  that  we  reckoned  we  were  still 
twenty-eight  or  thirty-two  miles  from  Falmouth  bay  ;  but 
the  wind  had  fallen  off  some.  My  calculation  was,  that  we 
were  about  twelve  or  sixteen  miles  from  Falmouth. 

C)ih,  Thursday.  During  the  night  I  heard  the  ship  tack 
close  about,  and  therefore  supposed  that  the  wind  had 
changed,  or  that  the  ship  had  ran  too  far,  or,  what  was 
more  probable,  I  was  afraid,  the  wind  being  about  S.  E., 
we  had  fallen  more  to  the  shore.  Our  mate  Evert  and  I 
thought  we  should  stand  off  a  little  till  daylight;  but  the 
captain  tacked  about  again,  so  that  we  then  sailed  ^N.  E., 
intending  thus  to  enter  the  harbor  of  Falmouth,  but  we 
found  no  opening,  and  when  the  day  broke,  discovered 
that  they  had  made  a  mistake,  and  had  taken  the  point  of 
Deadman's  head  for  the  point  of  Falmouth  bay.  When 
the  sun  rose,  they  saw  they  were  deep  in  the  bay,  on  a  lee 
shore,  where  it  all  looked  strange,  and  they  had  a  tolerably 
hard  wind.  When  they  saw  they  were  wrong  it  continued 
so  some  time  before  they  became  informed.  They  then 
wore  ship,  and  sailed  with  epiite  easy  sheets  out  of  the  bay. 

This  mishap  was  mainly  caused  by  Master  Jan,  who 
wishing  to  play  the  part  of  a  wise  man,  though  truly  it 
was  from  fear,  had  been  on  deck  several  times  during  the 
night  in  order  to  look  out,  afraid,  as  he  said  himself,  that 
we  might  sail  upon  the  point  of  the  Lizard.  Coming  up 
at  this  time  with  drowsy  eyes,  and  catching  a  glimpse  of 
the  land,  through  the  mist,  he  began  to  call  out,  that  we 
had  passed  by  Falmouth,  and  would  certainly  sail  upon 
the  Lizard.  It  was  the  English  mate's  watch,  who  was 
not  very  well  acquainted  with  him,  and  could  not  keep 


DE ADMAN'S  HEAD.  FALMOUTH. 


25 


him  still.  The  captain  was  therefore  called,  who  also 
came  up  rubbing  his  eyes,  and  unable  to  see  the  land  well 
in  the  mist.  He  coincided  with  Jan,  being  apprehensive 
that  the  ship  had  sailed  more  than  they  thought,  and  as  I 
myself  considered  might  well  be  the  case,  and  so  let  the 
ship  tack  about.  I  deemed  it  better,  however,  to  keep  off 
from  the  shore  till  daylight,  when  they  could  see  where 
they  were ;  but  the  captain  relying  more  upon  Jan's 
opinion,  and  wishing  to  accomplish  half  a  master  piece,  by 
going  into  Falmouth  in  the  dark,  and  surprising  the 
people  there  to  whom  the  ship  was  consigned,  and  so 
to  pass  hereafter  as  a  good  and  skillful  captain,  insisted 
upon  sailing  in,  and  so  they  went  in,  as  has  been  mentioned. 
It  is  no  part  of  the  business  of  a  good  seaman  to  run  into  a 
place  by  night,  or  when  it  is  dark,  where  he  is  not  well  ac- 
quainted ;  but  in  such  case  he  should  work  off  shore  slowly, 
waiting  until  day  and  light,  and  know  where  he  is,  and 
then  see  what  can  be  done.  Thus  the  fear  of  one  danger, 
and  the  rashness  accompanying  it,  brought  us  into  another, 
greater  than  the  first. 

Sailing  then  out  of  this  bay,  around  the  west  point,  we 
saw  at  once  the  neck  from  which  this  point  of  land  takes 
its  name  of  Deadman's  head.  It  is  shaped  like  a  coffin  or 
the  mound  of  earth  which  peasants  form  over  a  grave, 
one  end  a  little  higher  than  the  other,  and  going  up  sharp 
on  either  side  ;  but  it  is  on  the  top  somewhat  jagged.  It 
is  on  the  east  side  'of  the  point,  three  or  four  cable  lengths 
from  the  main  land.  We  had  a  third  mate  (Titus),  on 
board  the  ship  who  was  to  go  on  the  other  ship  at  Fal- 
mouth, and  who  was  well  acquainted  here.  He  said  he 
had  passed  through  the  opening  between  the  rock  and  the 
main  land,  and  that  it  was  a  mile  wide  and  tolerably 
clear  and  deep  enough.  After  having  passed  Deadman's 
head  and  this  rock,  we  came  to  a  small  pretty  sand-bay, 
but  it  lies  open.  From  Deadman's  head  you  can  see,  on 
4 


26 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


the  point  of  Falmouth  hay,  a  church  with  a  small  spire, 
and  near  it  a  stone  wind-mill,  which  forms  a  good  land 
mark,  for  along  the  whole  coast  there  are  few  or  no 
steeples.     As  you  sail  along  this  point  the  castle 1  comes 
into  view  standing  upon  the  west  point  of  the  harbor  of 
Falmouth,  where  also  there  is  a  stone  wind-mill.  The 
easterly  point  should  he  avoided,  for  it  runs  out  consider- 
ably.  It  is  hard  bottom,  and  at  low  tide  there  is  three  fathoms 
water  always;  and  we  sailed  in  with  that  depth.  As 
soon  as  you  perceive  it  is  deeper,  you  have  passed  the  east 
point.    Then  keep  along  this  shore  if  the  wind  be  fair,  for 
there  is  a  rock  almost  directly  in  the  channel.    You  can 
go  around  it  close  enough,  but  this  should  not  be  done.  As 
it  was  low  water  when  we  entered,  it  stuck  up  out  of  the 
water.    At  high  tide  it  is  covered.    There  is  a  spar  or 
pole  upon  it,  which  cannot  be  seen  far,  but  the  breakers 
are  sufficiently  visible.    When  you  sail  in,  in  this  manner, 
you  see  the  other  castle 2  also,  lying  on  the  east  side,  on  a 
point  inside.    After  having  passed  the  rock,  keep  a  little 
again  on  the  inside,  and  then  to  the  west,  so  as  to 
avoid  the  second  point,  upon  which  the  east  castle  is  situ- 
ated.   As  soon  as  you  have  passed  that,  you  have  deeper 
water  and  softer  bottom;  and  you  must  then  look  out 
that  you  do  no  damage  to  the  shipping,  for  the  roadstead 
commences  there,  and  you  can  see  the  city  or  village  of 
Falmouth  lying  upon  the  west  side  of  the  bay,  and  appear- 
ing somewhat  prettier  than  it  is  in  fact.  .  When  we  arrived, 
we  found  a  large  number  of  vessels  lying  there ;  but  being 
desirous  of  sailing  high  up,  several  ships  received  good 
thumps  from  us,  in  passing  by  them,  and  our  endeavoring  to 
keep  off  the  shoals.    It  would  have  resulted  much  worse, 
if  our  sheet  anchor,  which  was  lying  up  forward,  had  not 
caught  between  the  rails  of  a  small  vessel,  whose  mizen- 


1  Pendennis. 

2  St.  Mawes. 


UNLADING  THE  SHIP.  PENRYN. 


27 


mast  we  also  came  foul  of,  whereby  our  ship  turned  round, 
and  at  the  same  time  our  anchor  fell,  and  we  touched 
bottom  in  the  mud,  with  fine  weather  and  still  water.  "We 
thanked  our  God  again,  with  our  whole  hearts,  for  the 
double  mercy  shown  us  this  morning,  having  not  only  in 
a  fatherly  manner  preserved  us  from  an  apprehended 
danger,  but  delivered  us  from  this  one  into  which  we  had 
truly  fallen,  and  had  then  caused  us  to  arrive  so  well.  To 
him  belongs  all  praise  and  glory,  from  all  his  children, 
and  especially  from  us,  to  all  eternity.  Amen. 

Our  anchor  had  not  yet  touched  bottom  when  the  in- 
spectors or  tide-waiters  all  came  on  board  to  examine. 
Our  captain  and  Margaret  went  immediately  ashore  ;  and 
after  the  cook  had  served  the  breakfast,  most  all  the  pas- 
sengers, both  old  and  young,  putting  on  their  best  clothes, 
did  the  same.  My  comrade  also  went  to  see  if  any  letters 
had  arrived  for  us,  whilst  I  remained  on  board  to  look 
after  things  a  little ;  for  all  our  goods  were  in  the  berth, 
and  otherwise  within  reach,  and  the  ship  was  constantly 
full  of  strange  people.  My  comrade  soon  returned,  but 
brought  no  letters.  This  morning  while  we  were  launch- 
ing the  boat,  I  hurt  myself  in  the  loins,  on  my  left  side  ; 
the  pain  extended  through  the  whole  of  that  side  of  my  body, 
to  my  left  breast,  and  across  the  middle  to  the  right  breast. 
I  was  all  bent  up  while  standing,  and  had  to  sit  down.  I 
could  scarcely  draw  a  breath  or  move  myself ;  but  I  felt  it 
was  my  old  complaint,  forced  upon  me  anew  when  I  hurt 
myself.  This  pain  continued  for  some  days,  when  it  gradu- 
ally passed  over.  At  high  water  we  towed  the  ship  higher 
up,  to  the  warehouse,  where  we  had  to  unload.  The 
custom  house  officers,  and  Mr.  Rogers,  came  on  board 
with  some  other  persons,  and  when  they  left,  they  promised 
us  the  ship  should  be  unladen  by  Tuesday,  for  which  we 
were  glad. 

1th,  Friday.  They  began  early  to  break  open  the  hatches 


28 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


and  discharge  the  ship.  My  comrade  and  I  went  ashore  to 
a  place  called  Penryn,"a  little  further  up  the  hay,  and  as 
far  as  they  can  go  with  any  vessels.  We  walked  thence 
into  the  country,  over  and  among  the  hills,  for  the  pwpose 
of  recreating  and  recruiting  ourselves,  which  refreshed  us 
very  much,  after  having  been  so  long  in  an  overburdened 
ship  and  with  such  wicked  men. 

We  returned  to  l'enryn  at  noon  in  order  to  see  if  we 
could  obtain  some  place  or  other  to  lodge  and  rest  ourselves 
for  a  time.  By  chance  we  came  to  an  inn  in  that  place, 
called  The  English  Ship,  the  landlord  of  which  was  named 
Master  Jean,  who  spoke  a  little  Dutch,  and,  as  we  afterwards 
discovered,  better  French,  so  well  indeed  that  we  could 
converse  with  him.  We  took  dinner  there,  and  agreed 
with  him  to  lodge  there  for  several  days,  with  the  privilege 
of  a  chamber  to  ourselves. 

Sfli,  Saturday.  Having  slept  on  board  the  ship  we  went 
in  the  morning  to  our  new  lodgings,  where  we  breakfasted, 
and  then  rambled  into  the  country  to  divert  ourselves,  and 
thence  to  Falmouth,  and  so  returned  by  evening  to  our 
lodgings. 

Sunday.  My  companion  being  disposed  to  write,  I 
went  to  the  Episcopal  church  where  I  was  surprised  to  find 
in  the  churchyard  a  great  crowd  of  people  sitting  together, 
smoking  tobacco  and  waiting  for  the  last  toll  of  the  bell. 
On  entering  the  church  I  was  still  more  astonished  at  the 
ceremonies  which  indeed  did  not  differ  much  from  those  of 
popery,  and  continued  cpiite  long  enough.  Then  followed 
a  sermon,  if  it  may  be  called  such,  delivered  in  a  white 
gown,  as  were  the  first  services  and  other  ceremonies  in 
like  vestments.  The  sermon  was  read  out  of  a  little  book, 
without 'the  addition  of  a  single  word.  It  began  about  ten 
o'clock,  and  was  not  very  edifying.  The  text  was  from 
2  Cor.,  xiii,  11.  It  continued  till  about  half-past  eleven, 
when  church  was  over,  and  the  burgomasters  or  mayors, 


LETTERS  FROM  HOME.  POSTAGE. 


29 


with  two  golden  royal  sceptres,  were  carried  home.  In 
the  afternoon  I  took  a  walk  to  the  ship,  and  thence 
in  a  small  half-hour  to  Falmouth.  She  was  lying  mid- 
way hetween  the  two  places  for  the  purpose  of  being 
unladen. 

10th,  Monday.  We  remained  at  our  lodgings  almost  the 
whole  day  writing  letters.  Our  ship  was  nearly  discharged, 
which  I  went  in  the  evening  to  ascertain. 

11^,  Tuesday.  We  continued  still  at  our  lodgings,  hut  in 
the  afternoon  visited  the  ship  in  consequence  of  their 
telling  us  that  our  chest  would  be  examined,  as  indeed 
took  place.  There  were  some  passengers  on  shore  whose 
chests  were  broken  open,  because  they  did  not  attend  to 
them,  and  the  inspectors  would  not  wait.  They  cut  to 
pieces  the  cords  of  their  berth  under  which  they  found 
some  things ;  but  although  there  were  more  berths  so 
arranged,  and  still  better  furnished  than  this  one,  they  did 
nothing  to  them,  as  they  well  knew  beforehand  whose  they 
were,  and  why  they  did  what  was  done.  When  they  examined 
our  chest,  they  took  almost  all  our  goods  out  of  it.  However, 
they  did  not  see  our  little  box,  or  perhaps  they  thought  it 
contained  medicines,  as  they  found  in  the  other  one.  The 
two  small  pieces  of  linen  were  entered,  and  my  name  signed 
to  them.  They  went  to  our  berth,  but  did  nothing;  nor 
was  any  thing  there. 

12th,  Wednesday.  This  whole' day  was  a  writing  day  for 
the  post,  which  would  leave  to-morrow.  They  began  to 
reload  the  ship  in  the  afternoon.  I  went  on  board,  and 
also  went  to  see  if  there  were  any  letters  for  us,  which 
turned  out  to  be  the  fact ;  for,  on  finding  the  captain,  he 
gave  me  a  letter  for  which  I  paid  twenty-two  pence  postage. 
This  was  the  first  letter  we  had  received  from  home.  It  is 
unnecessary  for  me  to  say  that  I  was  rejoiced,  or  that  we 
thanked  the  Lord  that  he  still  thought  of  us.  I  went 
immediately  with  it  to  my  companion,  who  was  as  glad  as 


30 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  TORE. 


I  was,  for  the  letter  came  just  in  time  to  be  answered,  as 
we  did  with  joy  and  tenderness  of  heart. 

YMh,  T hursflay.  As  the  post  was  soon  to  leave,  we  took 
our  letters  to  the  post  office  at  Pcnryn,  next  to  The  White 
Dolphin.  The  package  was  weighed,  and  was  one  ounce 
and  a  quarter  in  weight,  for  which  we  paid  fifteen  pence 
postage  to  London;  and  they  informed  us  it  would  reach 
London  on  Monday.  Our  ship  being  almost  laden  again, 
we  paid  our  landlord  and  returned  on  board  ship.  We 
could  have  easily  remained  a  day  or  two  longer  at  our 
lodgings,  but  our  landlord  had  given  us  reasons  for 
leaving.  Coming  on  board  the  ship,  we  began  to  arrange 
our  place  a  little  for  keeping  house  again.  Meanwhile  I 
helped  fill  the  water  casks.  There  was  also  some  beef  to 
be  salted  in  barrels. 

14/A,  Friday.  Our  ship  was  entirely  laden,  that  is,  with 
the  goods  she  had  to  take,  for  there  was  a  large  quantity  of 
them  which  had  come  out  of  her,  remaining  for  the  other 
ship  which  Margaret  had  bought  there,  and  which  was  to 
be  made  ready  there  to  go  to  the  Isle  of  May,  and  thence  to 
Barbadoes.  She  was  a  large  but  very  weak  ship,  short 
and  high,  small  and  meagre  as  regards  bulk,  not  altogether 
old,  but  misbuilt.  She  sailed  tolerably  well,  but  was  very 
lank.  Two  of  our  crew  went  with  her,  namely,  Titus,  who 
was  to  be  boatswain,  and  one  of  our  carpenters,  named 
Herman,  who  was  the  best  one  we  had.  They  went,  from 
the  first,  to  work  upon  her,  for  she  was  lying  in  winter 
quarters.  Our  ship  being  laden,  our  captain  went  on  board 
the  large  one  with  an  English  lad,  the  cabin  boy,  and  his, 
the  captain's  wife.  This  captain  had  obtained  a  quaker  for 
his  mate,  a  young  man  and  a  very  poor  seaman,  as  I  have 
been  able  to  observe.  Hereupon  our  English  mate,  named 
Robert,  who  also  was  a  quaker,  became  captain  in  the 
place  of  the  other,  and  our  Dutch  mate,  or  rather  Kew 
Netherland  mate,  named  Evert  van  Duike  —  for  he  was  a 


PENDENNIS  CASTLE. 


31 


New  Netherlander  born,  and  his  parents  and  relations 
were  still  there,  though  he  had  married  at  Amsterdam  and 
had  lived  there  a  long  time,  hut  was  now  taking  his  wife  and 
children  with  him  to  New  Netherlancl — became  mate 
in  place  of  the  other.  In  return  for  the  three  persons  and 
the  boy  who  had  gone  from  our  crew,  we  obtained  only 
one  in  their  place,  a  poor  creature,  called  Jan,  the  doctor, 
of  Boston,  who  seemed  more  a  charlatan  in  his  behavior 
and  gestures  than  a  good  seaman.  Meanwhile  we  went 
walking,  to  see  the  country,  and  in  the  afternoon  came 
to  the  east  castle,  where  a  soldier  conducted  us  from  the 
gate  and  took  us  before  the  governor,  who  asked  us  who 
we  were,  where  we  came  from,  what  flag  our  ship  bore, 
when  and  with  whom  we  had  arrived,  and  for  what  purpose 
we  had  come  to  the  castle.  We  answered  him  politely ;  but 
(we  could  not  make  ourselves  well  understood  by  him,  for 
he  spoke  nothing  but  English,  which  we  could  not  do,  or 
very  little,  though  we  could  understand  it  pretty  well. 
He  finally  ordered  the  soldier  to  conduct  us  around  the 
castle,  in  order  that  we  might  look  at  it.  Having  satisfied 
the  soldier,  we  left,  and  went  down  the  hill.  The  beer 
brewed  at  the  castle  is  very  poor ;  there  is  little  or  no  fresh 
water  up  there,  and  what  there  is,  does  not  amount  to 
much.  The  castle  is  otherwise  strong  and  well  provided, 
having  over  an  hundred  guns  in  different  batteries,  which 
command  the  harbor  and  the  entire  roadstead.1  When  we 
reached  the  ship  she  was  laden. 

1  On  the  restoration  of  the  Stuarts,  Richard,  Lord  Arundell,  was  made 
governor  of  Pendennis  castle,  which  his  father  had  bravely  defended  to 
the  last  extremity  against  the  parliamentary  forces  in  1G46,  the  garrison 
having  been  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  eating  the  flesh  of  dogs  and  horses 
before  the  sturdy  old  governor  surrendered.  Richard  was  succeeded  by 
his  son,  John,  Lord  Arundell,  and  one  of  these  two  was,  no  doubt,  governor 
at  the  time  of  the  visit  of  our  travelers.  The  castle  was  built  by  Henry  VIII, 
on  the  site  of  an  old  fortification,  for  the  purpose  of  defense  against  the 
French.—  LyiorCa  May.  Brit.,  iii,  104-5. 

Falmouth  at  that  time  contained  about  250  houses,  and  soon  after 


32 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


15th,  Saturday.  As  our  ship  was  now  full,  and  orders  had 
come  to  haul  the  ship  at  high  water  from  hefore  the  ware- 
house and  off  from  the  ground,  they  did  so  this  morning. 
We  went  to  Penryn  to  buy  some  butter,  and  when  we 
returned  the  boat  was  sent  for  fresh  water,  which  was 
brought  on  board,  and  the  ship  then  towed  to  the  road- 
stead below,  where  she  arrived  in  the  evening,  somewhat 
late,  and  was  moored  at  once. 

Sund/ty.  The  weather  was  misty  and  rainy.  We 
went  ashore  with  one  of  the  passengers  and  one  of  the 
sailors,  a  young  fellow,  a  Scotchman,  by  birth,  from  the 
Orkneys,  and  a  prcsbyterian  by  profession,  named  Robert, 
who  took  us,  at  our  request,  to  the  presbyterian  meeting, 
which  we  left  quite  satisfied  with  the  zeal  of  the  preacher. 
Their  mode  of  service  is  not  different  from  that  of  the 
Reformed  in  Holland,  but  the  common  people  sat  there 
with  very  little  reverence.  At  noon  we  went  to  dine  at  a 
very  good  inn,  called  The  Golden  Fleece,  and  in  the 
afternoon  we  attended  the  meeting  of  the  episcopalians,  of 
whose  church  service  we  have  before  spoken,  and  so  in  the 
evening  returned  on  board  the  ship. 

17'/',  Monday.  We  went  this  morning  again  with  some 
passengers  to  Penryn,  where  the  yearly  market  day  was 
held,  with  the  intention  of  laying  out  a  little  money  in 
some  purchases,  having  rid  ourselves  of  Mr.  Jan,  who  had 
sought  to  get  it  out  of  our  hands,  and  would  by  that 
means  have  cheated  us.     He  promised  us,  if  we  would  let 

became  a  place  of  some  importance  as  the  port  of  the  post  office  packets 
to  the  West  Indies  and  elsewhere.  In  1755  there  were  two  packets 
employed  between  Falmouth  and  New  York,  and,  in  1703,  four. 

Penryn  is  a  very  ancient  town,  older  than  Falmouth.  It  had  a  court 
leet  before  the  Norman  conquest,  and  sent  two  members  to  parliament. 
The  borough  was  incorporated  by  James  I,  and  by  its  charter  it  could 
hold  three  fairs  annually,  namely :  on  May  1st,  Jul)-  7th  and  December 
21.  The  town  has  no  trade  or  commerce,  but  is  said  to  be  beautifully 
situated  on  a  ridge,  which,  on  the  northern  side,  goes  down  into  a  valley 
watered  by  a  branch  of  Falmouth  harbor.  —  Itinerary  of  Cornwall,  128-9. 


CUSTOM  HOUSE  OFFICERS. 


33 


him  have  the  money,  thirty  per  cent  interest  payable  in 
New  York,  or  ducats  there  at  twelve  guilders  of  zeewan 
each  ;x  but  the  Lord,  who  has  care  over  the  least  of  his 
children,  saved  us  from  this  fox,  and  excited  the  attention 
of  another  passenger,  namely,  Jan  Theunissen,  who  lived 
on  Lon£  Island,  and  who  advised  us  what  to  do.2 

We  bought  several  things  on  which  we  thought  we 
could  make  a  profit,  because  the  peril  of  the  sea  was  to  be 
encountered.  The  Lord,  who  as  I  have  said,  takes  care  of 
the  least  of  his  children,  so  ordered  it  that  we  not  only  did 
not  lose  any  thing  by  our  Dutch  money,  which  commonly 
brings  not  more  than  five  shillings  for  a  ducat ;  but  we 
received  for  almost  all  that  we  used,  five  shillings  and  six 
pence,  that  is  67  stuivers.  The  reason  of  this  was,  that 
the  man  who  took  our  money  was  about  going  to  Norway, 
for  timber,  where  he  could  pay  it  out  at  a  higher  rate 
than  English  money.  Having  made  our  purchases,  we  went 
to  Falmouth,  but  as  we  could  not  take  our  goods  on  board 
the  ship  without  first  declaring  them,  we  had  to  take 
them  to  Mr.  Rogers's,  where  one  Mr.  Jacobs  lived,  who  had 
assisted  in  inspecting  the  ship's  lading,  and  who  would  do 
the  same  with  these.  Thinking  over  the  purchases  we  had 
made  at  Penryn,  we  discovered  there  was  a  mistake  in  the 


1 A  ducat  was  a  small  gold  coin  of  Holland,  worth  about  two  dollars 
our  currency. 

2  This  was  Jan  Theunissen  van  Dykhuis,  who  married  Aagjc  (Agatha) 
daughter  of  Elbert  Elbertsen,  of  Amersfoort,  now  Flatlands,  on  Long 
Island.  He  does  not  appear  to  have  been  any  way  conspicuous  ;  but  his 
father-in-law  was  at  this  time  a  man  of  considerable  note,  having  risen 
from  a  low  condition  to  be  one  of  the  most  substantial  citizens  of  the 
colony.  He  came  to  New  Netherland  as  a  servant  to  Wouter  Van 
Twiller,  at  a  very  tender  age,  and  was  afterwards  in  the  service  of 
Kiliaen  Van  Rensselaer.  He  was  one  of  the  nine  men  appointed  by 
the  colonists  in  1049  to  represent  their  grievances  to  the  States  General. 
He  became  proprietor  of  Bergen's  island,  and  other  lands,  in  Flatlands, 
and  died  about  1080. —  Genealogy  of  the  Bergen  Family,  by  Hon.  Teunis 
G.  Bergen,  p.  99. 

5 


3d 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


payment  of  a  bill,  arising  from  tbe  counting  of  tbe  money 
by  our  Dutch  mate  and  Jan  Theunissen.  The  difference 
amounted  to  one  pound  sterling.  We,  or  our  friends  on  our 
account,  had  paid  the  bill.  We  discovered  the  mistake  at 
Falmouth,  and  immediately  went  back  to  Penryn,  informed 
the  merchant  of  the  mistake,  which  he  did  not  have  much 
trouble  in  comprehending.  He  gave  us  back  the  money, 
for  which  we  were  glad,  and  returning,  arrived  by  evening 
on  board  the  ship. 

IStk,  Tuesday.  One  Mr.  Lucas,  the  most  rigid  of  tbe 
inspectors  and  custom  house  officers  came  on  board  tins 
morning.  We  spoke  to  him,  told  him  what  we  had  bought, 
and  requested  him  to  examine  them.  We  said  we  might 
buy  something  more  and  he  could  assess  them  all  together, 
lie  replied  he  did  not  wish  not  to  examine  our  chest,  or 
what  we  might  have  bought  previously;  but  would  go 
ashore  with  us  and  look  at  what  we  had  there.  lie  told 
us  also  that  he  had  a  small  piece  or  two  of  stuffs,  which,  if 
we  would  buy,  he  would  let  us  have  at  a  bargain.  We 
went  to  Mr.  Jacobs's  where  he  looked  over  what  we  had 
bought.  He  told  us  we  had  paid  dear  for  them,  although 
we  thought  we  had  bought  them  cheap.  Mr.  Jacobs  said 
he  had  a  remnant  of  tin  which  he  would  sell  us  for  ten 
stuivers  a  foot,  and  we  had  paid  twelve  for  ours.  We 
were  directed  to  pay  Mr.  Jacobs  three  shillings  English  for 
duties  upon  the  goods  we  had  there,  whenever  we  should 
have  all  our  merchandise  together.  Mr.  Lucas  went  with 
us  to  a  shop  over  the  door  of  Mr.  Eogers,  where  he  bought 
several  things  for  us  at  a  low  price ;  he  even  compelled 
the  merchant  almost  to  give  us  the  goods  for  what  he 
chose,  for  the  merchant  did  not  dare  to  refuse  or  disoblige 
him.  They  were  always  good  purchases.  He  also  brought 
us  something  of  his  own  which  he  sold  us  on  favorable 
terms.  I  supposed  these  were  confiscated  goods,  which 
they  wanted  to  get  rid  of,  and  that  this  was  the  reason 


SHIP  CLEARED  FROM  ENGLAND.    •  35 


they  were  so  *  accommodating  to  us.  Our  purchases 
heiug  completed,  he  took  us  to  an  inn  where  we  regaled 
him  for  the  trouble  he  had  taken  with  the  above- 
mentioned  merchant.  "We  were  compelled  this  evening 
to  eat  and  sleep  ashore,  which  we  did  at  the  inn,  The 
Golden  Fleece. 

"We  had  heard  a  great  deal  said  for  some  clays  past,  and 
to-day,  Of  great  danger  from  the  Turks,  who  had  taken 
four  Dutch  ships.  This  caused  no  small  apprehension  in 
our  ship,  and  especially  in  Mr.  Jan. 

19^,  Wednesday.  My  companion  wrote  a  letter  home 
from  on  board  the  ship.  We  did  our  best  this  whole  day 
to  get  our  little  merchandise  on  board,  but  without 
success,  because  it  was  not  yet  declared.  However,  every 
thing  concerning  the  ship  and  the  lading  was  finished 
to-day;  and  the  passengers  obtained  thfe  bills  of  their 
goods,  and  paid  them.  Having  accomplished  nothing  the 
whole  day,  we  returned  on  board  the  ship. 

20th,  Thursday.  My  comrade  having  finished  the  letters, 
we  went  on  shore  to  Mr.  Rogers's,  in  order  to  post  them 
in  time,  and  paid  the  postage  to  London.  We  bought 
also  some  brandy,  vinegar  and  other  articles,  for  we  began 
to  see  it  would  go  slim  with  us  on  the  voyage.  We  were 
engaged  the  whole  day  in  declaring  our  goods  and 
carrying  them  on  board,  which  was  completed  early  in 
the  evening,  and  the  goods  stowed  away.  We  then  paid  Mr. 
Lucas  a  ducaton 1  for  the  duties  on  our  goods.  He  told  us 
what  the  duties  on  the  whole  of  the  ship's  cargo  amounted  to, 
and  gave  us  various  other  information,  all  very  willingly, 
because,  after  he  heard  that  I  was  somewhat  acquainted 
with  the  wine  business,  he  desired  some  particulars  in 
regard  to  it  from  me,  which  I  gave  him  in  writing  to  his 
satisfaction.    We  were  now  all  cleared. 


1  A  silver  coin  at  that  time  of  Holland,  worth  about  a  dollar  and  a 
quarter. 


30 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YOHK. 


21*1,  Friday.  This  rooming  it  was  very  misty.  Xfcfl 
wind  was  well  to  the  K  E.,  but  quite  still,  and  they  talked 
of  leaving  immediately.    The  bow  anchor  was  therefore 
raised,  and  we  got  under  weigh,  and  ran  to  the  mouth  of 
the  bay,  where  we  came  to  anchor  again  under  the  castle. 
The  captain,  Margaret,  and  many  of  the  passengers  went 
ashore,  but  my  comrade  and  I  remained  on  board.  For 
some  days  past  we  had  heard  it  rumored  that  our  ship's 
boat  was  to  be  taken  from  us,  and  we  were  to  have  the 
boat  of  the  large  ship  in  its  place,  or  that  we  would  go  to 
sea  without  a  boat.    Whichsoever  it  might  be,  it  was  a 
matter  of  importance  to  all  who  might  be  in  our  ship. 
As  to  goiug  to  sea  without  a  boat,  it  could  hardly  be 
thought  of,  for  how  much  depends  upon  one,  experience 
has  fully  shown.    It  was  evident  we  must  submit  to  take 
that  belonging  to  the  other  ship,  or  hold  on  to  our  own  by 
force.    We  had  seen  the  other  ship's  boat  several  times, 
and  we  knew  she  was  very  badly  built,  and  not  only  not 
serviceable,  but  very  incommodious.  All  things  considered, 
it  would  be  causing  us  a  great  inconvenience  to  put  this 
boat  upon  us,  by  reason  of  the  little  or  no  service  which 
we  could  derive  from  it.    We  were  also  afraid  of  it,  as 
it  was  much  larger  than  ours,  and  ours  was  already  too 
large  for  the  ship ;  for  when  it  was  hauled  on  board  there 
was  scarcely  room  at  the  main  hatchway  or  the  forehatch 
to  climb  out;   and  if  the  other  boat,  which  was  much 
larger,  were  placed  there,  the  hatches  would  certainly  have 
to  be  closed  entirely.    What  an  inconvenience  that  would 
have  caused  to  all  the  passengers,  who,  in  such  a  great 
number  lodged  between  the  two  decks,  can  not  be  fully 
expressed.    It  would  in  all  probability  have  produced 
sickness.    In  the  next  place  the  boat  was  so  heavy,  that 
with  the  small  number  of  our  crew  remaining,  namely : 
ten  men  with  the  captain  and  mate,  it  could  not  have 
been  properly  managed.    But  the  worst  of  all  was,  it  was 


TROUBLE  ABOUT  THE  BOAT. 


37 


so  rotten  that  you  could  not  keep  it  above  water,  and  you 
could  tread  holes  in  it  with  your  feet.  "We  could  not, 
therefore,  consent  to  an  exchange.  It  only  remained 
for  us  to  oppose  the  measure,  and  point  out  its  injustice : 
that  the  boat  of  the  ship  in  which  we  had  taken  passage 
was  a  part  of  the  vessel,  and  in  depriving  us  of  it,  they 
would  take  away  from  us  what  was  ours  by  agreement. 
There  was  no  person  in  the  ship  who  did  not  object  to  it, 
except  Margaret  and  the  captain  of  the  old  ship,  or  rather 
the  captain  of  the  other  ship  alone,  who  was  master  here. 
He  never  did  any  thing  except  to  please  these  miserable, 
covetous  people,  namely :  Margaret  and  her  husband,  who 
would  not  have  another  boat  built  in  Falmouth,  but  it 
must  be  done  in  New  York,  where  timber  was  a  little 
cheaper.  Our  captain,  who  had  been  only  made  captain 
for  this  voyage,  durst  not  set  himself  against  it  and  thus 
induce  the  other  captain,  and  consequently  the  merchant, 
to  oppose  Margaret.  Everybody  else  was  opposed  to  it. 
Mr.  Jan,  who  did  not  enquire  much  after  the  merchant, 
having  a  great  fear  of  him,  and  whom  Margaret  could 
compel,  also  opposed  it.  But  now,  when  it  came  to  the  point, 
no  one  dared  to  speak ;  the  sailors,  who  are  veiy  tightly 
bound  and  severely  treated  on  board  of  English  ships,  dared 
not  say  any  thing ;  and  the  passengers  grumbled  among 
themselves;  but  when  it  was  necessary  that  something 
should  be  said,  no  one  was  willing  to  be  the  first  to 
speak  out.  They  stood  like  children  and  let  themselves  be 
easily  appeased.  We,  however,  considered  the  matter,  and  I 
resolved  rather  to  speak  out  now,  than,  at  the  best,  to  sit  in 
the  dark,  to  be  stifled  with  the  heat  and  stench,  to  be  sick 
and  not  have  a  breath  of  air,  as  must  have  been  the 
consequence  to  us  in  the  bow  of  the  ship.  Finally,  our 
old  captain  and  our  two  former  sailors,  who  went  with 
him  on  board  the  other  ship,  brought  their  old  boat  in 
order  to  take  ours  away  with  them.    Mr.  Rogers,  Mr. 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


Lucas,  Mr.  Jacobs  and  others  came  also  on  board.  I 
thought  I  would  do  nothing  until  the  last  moment,  and  no 
one  else  opposed  it.  It  seemed  to  me  to  be  my  duty  thou, 
for  the  general  welfare,  and  especially  for  my  worthy 
companion  and  myself,  to  do  all  I  could.  Our  boat  then 
coming  along  side  with  the  captain  and  passengers  in  it, 
I  told  the  passengers  to  remain  in  and  keep  it,  and  not  to 
come  out  of  it,  for  nothing  was  easier  in  case  they 
came  out  of  it,  than  for  the  old  captain  to  take  possession 
and  carry  it  away;  yet  they  all  came  out,  notwithstanding 
I  had  requested  them  to  remain.  I  know  not  why  it  was, 
whether  they  did  not  understand  me,  having  drank  once, 
or  whether  they  dared  not  do  so.  I  therefore  jumped  into 
the  boat  myself,  when  the  captain  inquired  what  I  had 
said,  and  I  answered  that  we  were  determined  not  to  let 
our  boat  go.  He  then  stood  up,  laughing  derisively,  and 
opposed  me  in  an  angry  manner.  I  told  him  that  rather 
than  part  with  the  boat,  and  subject  ourselves  to  the  danger 
of  the  other  one,  we  would  see  him  thrown  overboard,  and 
my  opinion  was,  he  deserved  to  be  shipwrecked,  if  it  should 
so  happen  to  us  as  was  contemplated.  I  do  not  know 
whether  he  well  understood  me,  or  whether  I  had  expressed 
myself  properly,  for  I  did  not  speak  good  English.  I  was 
amazed  at  seeing  all  the  other  passengers  standing  round  like 
children.  He  came  running  from  the  stern  of  the  boat  to 
the  front,  where  I  was,  with  his  cane  uplifted,  and  saying : 
"  You  will  throw  me  overboard,  will  you  ?  "  Seeing  the 
quaker  wished  to  strike  me,  I  sprang  into  the  middle  of 
the  boat  and  grappling  him,  held  him  so  tight  that  he 
could  not  do  it,  when  the  others  separated  us.  He  went  on 
board  the  ship,  and  declared  he  would  have  me  put  in 
prison,  because  I  had  threatened  to  throw  him  overboard, 
as  he  said:  but  he  was  better  informed  by  some  of  the 
passengers,  who  heard  and  understood  what  I  had  said 
better  than  he  did.    Otherwise  there  was  not  a  passenger 


LEAVING  FALMOUTH. 


39 


who  ventured  to  say  a  word.  Some  wives  only  cried  and 
bawled  about  what  was  proposed  to  be  done.  The  mate's 
wife,  who,  with  two  small  children,  was  placed  directly 
opposite  our  berth,  and  would  there  have  suffered  much 
also,  ran  with  another  woman,  screeching  into  the  cabin, 
and  there  bemoaned  herself.  Mr.  Jacobs  spoke  against  me, 
and  said  the  captain  was  right  in  his  acts  and  threats ; 
miserable  time  servers,  encouraging  any  one  in  what  they 
are  convinced  in  their  own  hearts  is  not  right,  as  our 
captain  and  Margaret  themselves  afterwards  acknowledged. 
I  came  out  of  the  boat  myself,  not  being  able  to  accomplish 
any  thing  alone ;  when,  finally,  the  passengers  began  here 
and  there  to  say  a  word.  But,  nevertheless,  the  old 
captain  ordered  his  sailors  to  put  the  gear  in  our  boat,  in 
order  to  take  her  away.  Mr.  Jan,  standing  nearest  by, 
prevented  that  being  done,  and  then  ran  forward  to  the 
cabin,  where  there  was  a  violent  wrangling  going  on.  At 
last  the  mayor  or  burgomaster  came  upon  deck,  and 
promised  us  all  that  we  should  retain  our  boat,  and  told  us 
henceforth  to  rest  easy.  I  went  up  to  him  and  thanked 
him  politely,  and  offered  him  an  apology  for  speaking 
hastily  perhaps,  which  he  accepted,  and  gave  me  his  hand. 
Afterwards  our  old  captain  came  to  me  and  said,  "  Well,  I 
did  not  think  you  were  such  a  man ;  "  for  he  had  to  say 
something.  I  replied,  that  he  must  in  conscience  say  if 
he  were  in  our  place  he  would  not  have  permitted  it.  He 
said,  "  No,  I  would  not  have  permitted  it,  and  you  did 
right  in  opposing  it,  though  you  could  have  done  so  in  a 
little  different  manner."  "  Yes,"  said  I,  "  and  we  might 
in  the  meantime  have  lost  our  boat."  At  which  he  went 
away,  repeating  that  he  was  not  surprised  that  we  had 
opposed  it.  Finally  all  became  quiet,  and  were  glad  we 
had  held  on  to  the  boat.  Even  our  own  captain  said,  this 
same  day,  that  he  was  as  glad  as  any  one  on  board  the  ship 
could  be,  though  he  was  sorry  it  happened  as  it  did.  The 


40 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


sailors  who  came  from  the  other  ship,  raved  and  swore 
ahout  the  old  boat  in  a  way  not  to  he  repeated ;  but  said  they 
were  glad  on  our  account,  and  also  their  own,  because  it 
would  be  the  means,  perhaps,  of  their  obtaining  a  new 
boat;  that  they  had  railed  out  so  against  the  old  boat 
because  as  we  had  refused  to  have  it,  they  would  have  to 
use  it  to  lift  the  large  anchors,  and  even  to  unload  and 
load  the  ship,  for  which  it  would  be  still  less  serviceable. 
The  matter  certainly  went  off  well,  and  we  thanked  the 
Lord  in  our  hearts. 

We  then  weighed  anchor  and  got  under  sail,  leaving  on 
the  left  hand  the  rock  which  lies  in  the  mouth  of  the 
harbor.  It  is  on  account  of  this  rock  that  this  place  is 
called  Falmouth,  or  Foulmoufh,  that  is,  foul  mouth.1  The 
wind  was  about  S.  E.,  but  when  we  reached  outside,  it 
shifted  more  and  more  to  the  south,  and  became  quite 
light,  so  that  by  evening  we  were  opposite  Black  point. 
It  tbcn  became  entirely  calm,  and  we  had  to  keep  off  and 
on,  and  the  ship  herself  afterwards  tacked  about.  After 
supper  the  watch  was  set.  Another  passenger,  named  Gerrit, 
and  myself,  were  added  to  the  mate's  watch.  While  we 
were  in  the  first  watch,  and  four  glasses 2  had  not  yet  run 
out,  black  clouds  began  to  rise,  accompanied  with  heavy 
thunder  and  lightning.  It  was  frightful.  The  crew  were 
immediately  called  on  deck,  the  topsails  taken  in,  the 
other  sails  furled,  and  every  thing  made  fast,  when  it 


Falmouth,  like  other  sea  ports  of  England  whose  names  have  the 
same  termination,  such  as  Plymouth,  Dartmouth  and  Yarmouth,  takes 
its  name  from  being  the  mouth  of  a  river,  that  of  Fal,  the  little  stream 
which  here  empties  itself  into  the  sea.  The  town  is  so  called  from  the 
bay ;  and,  as  has  already  been  observed,  is  of  comparatively  modern  date. 
The  locality  was  at  an  early  period  called  Pennycomequick,  a  popular 
expression,  it  is  said,  composed  of  three  Cornish  words  pen,  coom,  ick, 
signifying,  narrow  valley  by  the  creek.— British  Gazetteer. 

2  A  glass  runs  half  an  hour. 


ALARM  ABOUT  THE  PIRATES. 


41 


began  to  rain  so  exceedingly  hard,  that  I  do  not  recollect 
ever  to  have  seen  it  rain  harder.  We  were  thoroughly 
wet  through.  It  continued  the  whole  night.  Whenever 
it  lightened  we  could  see  a  great  distance  from  us,  and 
perceived  several  ships,  two  or  three  large  vessels  and 
some  small  ones,  which  increased  our  fear  of  the  Turks. 
When  there  was  no  lightning  we  could  not  see  our  hands 
before  our  faces.  I  remained  up  the  whole  night,  as  there 
was  no  opportunity  to  sleep. 

22'/,  Saturday.  The  wind  during  the  day-watch  changing 
from  the  west  to  the  north,  we  tacked  towards  the  shore 
in  order  to  run  in  again,  and  about  eight  o'clock  we  came 
to  anchor  inside  the  castle.  Towards  evening  our  carpen- 
ter and  his  wife  having  forgotten  something,  went  ashore, 
and  on  their  return  brought  the  news  that  a  small  ship 
which  had  run  out  to  sea  further  than  we  did,  and  had 
come  in  again  after  us,  had  seen  in  the  morning  a  ketch, 
which  went  to  sea  with  us,  taken  by  the  Turks ;  for  which 
reason  they  had  now  come  inside.  This  news  produced 
not  a  little  consternation  in  our  ship.  Whether  it  were 
true  or  not,  we  did  not  know ;  but  we  were  overwhelmed 
with  a  sense  of  the  careful  providence  of  God,  who  perhaps 
for  the  preservation  of  his  children,  had  directed  this  storm 
and  caused  the  wind  to  change,  whereby  we  were  com- 
pelled to  come  inside  again ;  for  otherwise,  if  we  had  seen 
any  opportunity  of  proceeding,  we  would  have  remained 
outside. 

2$d,  Sunday.  The  weather  was  calm.  At  noon  my 
companion  went  ashore,  while  I  remained  on  board.  In 
the  afternoon  several  ships  came  in,  all  bringing  bad  news 
of  there  being  such  and  so  many  Turks  on  the  coast. 
One  said  five  and  another  two  large  ships,  and  that  they 
had  fourteen  captured  vessels  with  them ;  that  twenty-three 
had  sailed  from  Algiers,  and  would  blockade  the  entire 
channel  to  the  Flemish  islands.  This  news  was  brought 
6 


42 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


by  a  small  ship  from  the  straits,  and  had  reported  it  to 
one  of  those  vessels  which  had  run  in  here.  But  in  the 
afternoon  a  ketch  came  in  and  sent  a  boat  up  to  Falmouth 
to  land  some  persons,  and  ran  out  again  immediately, 
without  coming  to  anchor.  The  boat  came  along  side  of 
us.  Mr.  Lucas,  who  came  out  to  our  ship  with  this  boat, 
said  that  the  ketch  was  cruising  for  English  East  India- 
men,  some  of  which  had  arrived,  and  had  been  cruising 
several  days  without  seeing  any  suspicious  ships;  but  had 
met  some  French  vessels  from  the  straits,  which  had  fired 
a  shot  for  him  to  come  off  to  them,  because  they  wanted 
to  speak  to  him,  which  he  did.  He  spent  an  hour  with 
them,  for  which  reason  other  English  ships,  which  had 
observed  this  at  a  distance,  supposed  these  French  ships 
were  Turks  and  this  ketch  had  been  captured  by  them ; 
and  therefore  they  had  saved  themselves  by  flight.  The 
boat  went  to  the  other  ships,  and  on  her  return  brought 
still  more  news  than  we  had  yet  heard,  so  that  we  were 
still  in  doubt.  In  the  meantime  my  comrade  came  on 
board,  and  related  how  he  had  been  to  the  quakers'  meet- 
ing, and  gave  me  an  account  of  their  devotions,  preaching, 
and  meals. 

2-ith,  Monday.  The  wind  being  northeasterly  this  morn- 
ing, we  raised  the  bow  anchor  early;  and  the  other  was 
also  wound  up.  The  boat  went  once  more  ashore,  to  fill 
the  remaining  empty  water  casks,  in  order  that  we  might 
get  immediately  under  sail;  but  before  the  casks  were 
filled,  the  wind  shifted  round,  and  we  had  to  remain  where 
we  were.  In  the  afternoon  I  went  with  some  others  to 
assist  in  hauling  off  Margaret's  other  ship  which  was 
aground,  and  take  her  to  the  shipyard. 

Before  we  leave  England  and  the  channel,  a  word  in 
regard  to  them  may  be  useful.  As  to  the  channel,  it  is 
well  to  observe,  that  those  who  have  to  sail  through  it 
should  keep  nearest  the  English  coast,  because  it  is  safer 


SOUTHERN  COAST  OF  ENGLAND. 


43 


than  the  French ;  but  to  keep  as  close  as  we  did  I  do  not 
consider  best,  because  there  is  much  calm  wind  made 
from  the  shore,  whereby  there  is  slow  progress ;  and,  in 
the  second  place,  storms  or  tornadoes  sometimes  come 
over  the  high  land  during  these  calms,  and  as  there  is 
then  usually  much  sail  set,  they  fall  upon  the  ship,  and 
cause  much  inconvenience,  as  we  experienced.  Thirdly, 
because  when  the  wind  comes  from  the  sea,  you  are  on  a 
lee  shore,  and  in  some  danger ;  and  sometimes  if  the  wind 
continues,  you  are  compelled  to  make  a  harbor  where  you 
would  hardly  otherwise  be  willing  to  do,  and  from  whence 
you  can  not  always  readily  come  out  again.  It  is  well  to 
throw  the  lead  in  dark  and  foggy  weather,  in  order  to 
ascertain  the  bottom,  and  whether  there  be  any  current ; 
also  to  calculate  the  tides  at  the  place  where  you  may  be, 
so  as  to  make  good  reckoning ;  and  when  the  tide  stops, 
to  make  sail.  In  case  it  happen  you  are  compelled  to  run 
in  anywhere,  you  should  know  well  where  it  is,  or  if  you 
do  not,  and  it  is  so  that  you  cannot  by  reason  of  the  night 
or  other  obscurity,  obtain  sight  of  the  land,  it  is  better  to 
lie  with  light  sail  off  from  the  shore  until  it  clear  up,  so 
that  you  may  not  be  at  a  loss  when  you  approach  the 
land,  as  we  were.  It  is  always  the  practice  of  a  good 
seaman,  and  it  is  proper,  to  keep  well  away  from  the 
shore,  because  there  are  several  rocks  which  lie  further 
out  than  they  are  laid  down  upon  the  charts,  as  we  have 
observed,  and  you  are  therefore  in  danger  of  sailing  upon 
them. 

As  to  this  part  of  England,  and  the  places  of  Falmouth 
and  Penryn,  where  we  have  been  for  about  three  weeks, 
we  have  to  observe,  that  from  the  straits  (of  Dover)  to 
Land's  End  the  land  is  high,  but  higher  in  some  places 
than  others,  and  is  diversified  with  many  hills  and  dales. 
The  coast  is  broken  and  rocky.  From  Dover  to  the  Isle 
of  Wight  it  is  chalky  white ;  from  thence  it  is  red  and 


44 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YOKE. 


harder;  and  towards  Land's  End,  it  is  black  as  if  it  were 
burnt.    Extending  inland,  the  country  is  beautified  with 
green  fields  and  cultivated  farms,  among  and  out  of  which 
rise  the  spires  of  churches,  presenting,  as  you  sail  along 
them,  as  we  did,  in  the  summer  time,  a  pleasant  and 
agreeable  prospect.    And  as  the  children  of  God  can  see 
the  hand  of  their  Father  everywhere,  they  clearly  and 
lovingly  see  it  in  this  glorious  exhibition ;  beholding  here 
his  power,  wisdom,  goodness,  majesty  and  purity,  and 
being  drawn  by  it  to  him ;  a  sight  which  for  six  days  long 
we  had  now  enjoyed.    Happy  the  souls  which  find  God 
in  his  works !     What  do  not  they  enjoy,  wherever  they 
may  be,  when  God  lifts,  only  a  little,  the  curtain,  and  lets 
his  creatures  see  him  ?    Or  when  he,  even  before  we  know 
it,  looks  from  behind  the  wall  or  through  the  lattice,  how 
soon  they  know  him  and  how  soon  they  are  with  him ; 
how  quickly  they  adore  and  glorify  him;  and  how  soon 
they  unite  themselves  with  him  and  are  lost  in  him  !  But 
what  shall  I  say?    This  is  for  those  who.troly  experience 
it,  and  not  for  every  one.    Heaven  is  for  man  to  behold, 
who  goes  with  head  erect;  the  earth,  with  what  is  below 
upon  it,  is  for  the  beast,  which  carries  its  head  down. 
The  country  around  Falmouth  and  to  the  west  of  it  is 
called  Cornwall  because  it  is  so  fruitful  in  corn.1    Its  hills 
are  tolerably  high,  and  it  has  deep  valleys  supplied  with 
running  streams  of  fresh  water.    Although  at  some  depth 
below  the  surface,  and  in  some  places  deeper  than  others, 

1  This  derivation  is  not  more  fanciful  than  that  given  in  the  Illustrated 
Itinerary  of  the  County  of  Cornwall,  referring  it  to  the  figure  of  the  county, 
"  which  is  that  of  a  cornucopia,  or  horn  of  plenty."  "  The  truth  seems  to 
be  that  the  country  was  called,"  says  a  good  authority,  3  Mag.  Brit.,  Ill, 
"by  its  ancient  inhabitants  Kernou,  or  as  the  Welsh  write  it  Kerniw  or 
the  Horn, from  its  projecting  promontories;  that  it  was  Latinized  to  Cor- 
nubia ;  that  when  the  Saxons  gave  the  name  of  Wealas  to  the  Britons, 
they  distinguished  those  who  had  retired  into  Kernou  or  Cornubia  by  the 
name  of  Cornwealas  and  their  country,  Cornwall,  that  is  Cornish  Wales." 


CORNWALL.   FALMOUTH.  PENRYN. 


45 


there  is  much  rock,  and  indeed  almost  nothing  else,  there 
is  nevertheless  much  produced  from  the  soil.  We  saw 
growing  on  the  highest  hills  fine  wheat,  rye,  buckwheat 
and  oats,  besides  good  grass,  on  which  cattle  were  pas- 
tured, and  from  which  long  bay  was  mown.  There  were 
few  fruits  or  garden  productions.  The  fields  are  not  set 
off  by  ditches  or  wooden  fences,  but  by  small  dikes  formed 
either  partly  with  stones  collected  from  the  fields  and 
placed  upon  a  little  earth,  or  entirely  of  earth,  on  the  top 
of  which  they  plant  small  trees  and  shrubbery,  so  that 
their  roots  may  hold  them  firm.  This  is  not  only  suitable 
for  inclosing  the  land,  but  it  affords  a  pleasant  sight  like  a 
neat  seam  on  a  green  or  other  colored  garment.1  The 
land  also  yields  very  good  tin,  of  which  there  is  a  fine 
mine  near  Penryr>,  where  we  saw  the  workshop  and  mills. 
The  town  of  Penryn,  that  is,  eyelid,  as  well  as  Falmouth, 
are  open  towns  (not  fortified),  quite  long,  having  one  or 
two  streets  laid  out  on  the  side  of  the  hill.  Penryn  is 
larger  than  Falmouth,  and  has  a  surface  stream  of  fresh 
water  running  through  its  whole  length,  from  one  end  to 
the  other,  affording  great  convenience  to  the  inhabitants. 
The  town  appears  very  neat  and  pretty  outside,  but  inside 
it  does  not  signify  much.  The  houses  are  built  for  the 
most  part  of  stone  in  their  rough  state,  laid  in  loam,  and 
plastered  on  the  outside,  entirely  white,  with  lime;  upon 
this  plastering  they  throw  small  pebbles  for  the  sake  of 
ornament,  and  then  draw  lines  in  squares,  so  as  to  make  it 
look  as  if  the  houses  were  constructed  of  large  blocks  of 

1  This  fertility  of  some  parts  of  Cornwall  and  almost  up  to  Land's  End 
is  fully  confirmed  by  modern  statements.  "From  the  Tamar  to  the 
Fowey,"  says  the  Itinerary,  "  on  the  southern  side  of  the  county,  there  is 
a  very  fertile  district  producing  immense  crops  of  corn  :  for  here  climate, 
soil,  and  convenience  of  lime  carriage,  all  contribute  to  the  fertility.  By 
Mount's  bay  sixty  bushels  of  wheat  have  been  raised  on  an  acre,  and  it  is 
said  that  1,000  acres  around  Penzance  now  let  for  £10,000  per  annum." 
Mount's  bay  and  Penzaucc  are  between  the  Lizard  and  Land's  End. 


46  VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


stone.  The  best  houses  are  floored  with  plank  or  stones ; 
in  the  others  there  is  nothing  but  earth.  The  people  are 
quite  civil,  but  very  ignorant  in  religious  and  godly  things; 
though  very  shrewd  in  worldly  affairs,  especially  in  en- 
trapping strangers.  Fish  is  good  and  cheap.  There  was 
once  a  fisherman  along  side  of  us,  who  asked  only  ten 
stuivers1  for  a  codfish,  which  is  esteemed  there,  as  in 
many  other  places,  the  choicest  of  fish.  We  offered  him 
eight  stuivers,  but  did  not  obtain  it.  You  cannot  procure 
much  merchandise  in  these  towns,  as  it  has  to  be  brought 
from  other  places.  English  goods  even,  can  be  bought 
cheaper  in  Amsterdam  than  here,  as  they  have  to  be 
carried  upon  poor  small  horses,  for  wagons  cannot  be  used 
for  the  purpose  in  consequence  of  the  steepness  of  the 
hills.  As  to  the  commerce  carried  on  in  their  own  ships, 
it  is  not  large,  and  is  with  small  vessels.  The  bay  or  river 
is  navigable  to  Penryn  and  no  further,  where  it  stops. 
Falmouth  lies  in  front.  It  has  many  inns  and  taverns, 
but  few  churches.  The  beer  brewed  here  is  not  heavy, 
but  light  and  sour,  and  not  very  good-tasted.  Fuel  is 
extremely  dear ;  so  that  bakers,  brewers  and  others  who 
use  much  fire,  burn  for  the  most  part,  a  certain  kind  of 
weed  or  thorn,  which  grows  along  the  roads  and  fences, 
and  give  out  a  great  heat.  From  all  this  you  may,  in  some 
degree,  gather  the  condition  of  these  places,  of  which  I 
myself  had  previously  the  impression  they  were  large  and 
capital  towns. 

25th,  Tuesday.  The  wind  being  K  and  K  K  W.,  we 
did  not  conclude  to  leave.  Mr.  Jan  alone  opposed  leaving, 
so  much  afraid  was  he ;  but  the  wind  blowing  fresh,  the 
captain  ordered  them  about  noon  to  weigh  anchor,  and  we 
got  under  sail.  "We  were  scarcely  outside,  when  we 
perceived  two  large  ships  and  several  others  around  the 


1  Ten  cents. 


SCILLY  ISLANDS. 


47 


point  of  the  Lizard,  at  which  Mr.  Jan  was  filled  with  fear. 
Seeiiag  a  ketch  coming  from  there,  we  bore  up  to  her,  and 
inquired  what  ships  they  were.  They  answered  they 
were  English  ships-of-war,  which  was  confirmed  by  a 
fisherman  engaged  in  fishing  there,  whom  we  spoke. 
Whereupon  our  ship  was  as  full  of  joy  as  it  had  before 
been  of  fear.  On  approaching  these  ships  we  found  it  to 
be  as  reported,  although  we  did  not  speak  to  them,  which 
was  an  oversight  in  the  captain,  it  seems  to  me,  on  several 
accounts.  What  reasons  he  had  for  not  doing  so  I  do  not 
know,  although  they  might  be  easily  guessed.  They  both 
sailed  to  the  west.  When  we  came  off  the  Lizard,  we 
laid  our  course  for  the  Scilly  islands,  although  it  was  near 
the  wind.  We  sailed  thus  the  whole  night  W.  and  W. 
by  S.  During  the  first  watch  the  two  ships  came  close 
along  side  of  us,  and  passed  us  without  our  speaking  to 
them.    They  were  beating  up  the  channel. 

26th,  Wednesday.  The  wind  same  as  before,  and  we  sailed 
on  our  former  course.  In  the  morning  we  could  still  see 
the  Scilly  islands  behind  us.  The  sun  shining,  we  observed 
the  latitude  at  49°  4'.  We  then  set  our  course  west  by 
south,  reckoning  our  longitude  to  be  10°  10'.  We  had  a 
very  light  breeze.  We  still  saw  several  ships,  but  one 
ship-of-war  was  still  to  the  larboard  of  us,  which  at  evening 
beat  before  the  wind  to  look,  as  it  seemed,  after  her  com- 
panion which  had  fallen  behind.  We  had  a  light  breeze 
all  night,  and  kept  on  the  same  course. 

27th,  Thursday.  Early  this  morning  we  saw  a  ship  on 
the  larboard  about  eight  miles  off  under  full  sail,  which 
circumstance  revived  the  fears  on  board  of  our  ship,  for 
she  did  not  appear  to  be,  as  she  was,  the  before  mentioned 
ship-of-war.  She  was  sailing  on  the  same  course  as  our- 
selves; a  practice  which  privateers  or  pirates  adopt  in 
order  to  see  whether  they  can  sail  faster  than  those  they 
have  their  eyes  upon.    But  as  regards  us  in  particular, 


48 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


the  Lord  caused  us  to  put  our  trust  in  him,  and  held 
our  hearts  quiet  in  him.  This  fear  gradually  suhsided 
when  it  was  ohserved  that  the  ship  came  no  nearer 
to  us.  At  noon  there  was  a  fog,  so  that  the  sun 
could  not  shine  through  it,  and  we  could  not  take  the 
hititude  well;  hut  according  to  what  we  did  obtain,  the 
latitude  did  not  differ  much  from  that  of  the  day  hefore, 
only  some  minutes  further  south.  AVe  continued  on 
our  course  a  distance  computed  to  he  sixty-four  miles,  in 
longitude  8°  6'.  By  evening  the  hefore  mentioned  ship 
was  almost  out  of  sight.  We  had  no  longer  any  doubt 
that  she  was  the  ship-of-war. 

28/A,  Friday.  The  wind  still  X.  and  N.  K  W.,  with  a  light 
breeze,  and  we  proceeded  "W.  and  W.  hy  N.,  in  order  to 
keep  due  west.  The  hefore  mentioned  ship  had  come  up 
during  the  night,  and  was  now  almost  in  front  of  us,  and 
continued  thus  sailing  with  us.  At  noon  it  was  entirely 
calm;  the  latitude  ohserved  was  49°  24';  the  distance 
now  was  computed  to  be  sixty-eight  miles,  and  found  to  he 
sixty  miles ;  our  course  was  a  little  more  southerly  than 
west;  and  the  longitude  calculated  to  he  7°  6'.  In  the 
afternoon  the  ship-of-war  ran  south  on  the  other  bow,  and 
by  evening  was  so  far  to  the  leeward  that  we  could  hardly 
see  her.  It  was  very  calm,  and  in  the  evening  and  first 
part  of  the  night,  the  wind  became  more  and  more 
westerly,  so  that  when  the  watch  was  set  we  could  only 
sail  ~W.  S.  W.  The  ship  was  tacked  about  in  order  not  to 
fall  too  far  off  to  the  south ;  and  we  could  then  sail  !N". 
and  N.  by  E.,  but  the  wind  changed  again  more  to  the 
north,  so  that  we  were  compelled  to  keep  more  easterly. 

29th,  Saturday.  The  wind  as  we  have  said,  drawing  to 
the  north,  the  ship  was  tacked  about  at  eight  o'clock,  sailing 
with  a  fine  topsail  breeze  W.  by  ~N.  At  noon  we  found 
the  latitude  was  50°  8',  so  that  our  reckoning  was  twenty 
or  twenty-four  miles  further  west  than  the  westerly  point 


A  BLOW.  49 

• 

of  Ireland,  that  is,  in  longitude  about  4°  40'.  The  before 
mentioned  ship  had  left  us  the  past  night;  but  before  we 
leave  her  in  our  thoughts,  we  cannot  omit  to  observe  how 
we  were  touched  by  the  good  and  fatherly  care  of  God,  the 
Lord,  over  his  children,  sending  her  to  this  same  place, 
where  the  danger  of  the  enemy,  the  Turks,  was  always  to 
be  feared ;  sending  her  there,  I  say,  through  his  mysterious 
providence,  as  a  good  convoy  to  meet .  their  weakness ;  for 
otherwise  he  alone,  and  his  faithful  care  are  sufficient,  albeit 
*  he  was  pleased  to  work  it  out  by  such  means  as  pleased  him. 
Thus  we  have  not  only  discovered  no  enemy,  but  were 
conveyed  by  this  ship-of-war,  or  ships,  through  the  most 
dangerous  part  where  the  enemy  was  most  to  be  feared ; 
although  these  ships  intended  nothing  else  than  to  execute 
their  commission,  which  was  to  cruise  after  the  East  India 
ships.  Certainly  if  we  did  not  see  the  hand  of  God 
in  this,  we  were  truly  blind ;  if  we  were  not  touched  by 
it,  we  were  indeed  insensible  j  and  if  we  did  not  tenderly 
acknowledge  it,  we  had  been  the  most  unthankful  men  in 
the  world.  !N"o,  no,  his  spirit  inclines  and  works  in  us  to 
other  things.  What  reason  his  children  have  to  rely  upon 
him,  to  lose  themselves  and  their  ways  in  him !  Praise 
the  Lord,  all  ye  who  have  so  often  experienced  this,  for 
his  faithfulness  endures  for  eternity.  Yea,  praise  the 
Lord,  for  he  shows  himself  to  be  what  he  is.  But  this  is 
sufficient,  and  leaving  you  to  him  and  in  these  thoughts, 
we  will,  in  the  same  trust,  resume  our  voyage.  By 
evening  it  was  very  calm,  and  the  wind  westerly,  so  that 
we  could  sail  only  W.  by  S.,  and  did  so  half  the  night, 
except  when  we  tacked,  and  then  we  sailed,  N.  by  W.,  and 
K  K  W. 

30///,  Sunday.  It  remained  quite  calm  until  in  the  morn- 
ing,  with    the  wind  K   1ST.  E.,   and   our  course  set 
west  by  north.     About  eight  o'clock,   however,  the 
wind  shot  out  of  the  south  with  such  a  stiff  topsail  breeze 
7 


50  VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 

that  we  turned  the  helm  again,  and  in  the  afternoon  were 
able  to  sail  freely  W.  hy  The  weather  being  overcast 
we  could  not  ascertain  the  latitude,  but  calculated  it  to  be 
50°,  and  the  distance  run  ninety-six  miles.  The  course 
was  west,  a  little  southerly,  and  the  longitude  3°.  At 
evening  it  began  to  blow  hard;  our  topsails  were  first 
reefed,  and  afterwards  taken  in  entirely.  We  were  in  the 
first  watch,  during  which  it  began  to  rain  so  hard,  and  we 
shipped  so  much  water  from  the  sea,  that  there  was  not  a 
dry  place  anywhere  to  sit  down;  for  walk  or  stand  we 
could  not,  and  so  let  the  water  run  under  us.  The  man  at 
the  helm  had  the  tiller  knocked  out  of  his  hands  two  or 
three  times.  Our  sails,  though  small,  had  as  much  as  they 
could  bear,  and  I  wondered  why  either  the  sails  did  not 
burst,  or  the  masts  break ;  for  our  mate  let  them  stand  so 
that  every  thing  that  was  on  them  shook  and  shivered. 
Before  our  watch  was  out  the  weather  appeared  to  moderate 
gradually;  and  when  it  was  out  I  crept,  all  wet  as  I  was, 
into  the  berth,  for  there  was  no  other  course.  I  had  lain 
there  hardly  half  an  hour,  when  we  shipped  a  heavy  sea, 
whereby  many  articles  were  thrown  over  to  the  lee  side. 
My  comrade  recmested  me  to  feel  whether  any  of  our  goods 
and  clothing  Avhich  were  lying  upon  our  chest,  before  the 
berth,  were  thrown  off  which  I  did;  but  I  could  not  find 
either  goods  or  chest.  I  arose,  and  went  groping  about 
for  them;  I  found  the  chest  below  the  middle  of  the 
forehatch,  and  lifted  it  as  well  as  I  could,  again  to  the 
windward.  The  other  articles  I  found  mostly  under  the 
berth  of  the  persons  opposite  to  us;  when  the  boatswain 
coming  along  with  a  light,  to  see  whether  any  of  the  ship's 
property  was  injured,  we  brought  every  thing  in  order 
again,  and  found  that  no  damage  had  happened  to  the 
medicines,  as  we  had  apprehended. 

Slst,  3Ionday.  The  wind  having  become  more  calm  we 
sailed  "W.  by  jST.,  but  it  veering  gradually  round  to  the 


MEETING  SHIPS. 


51 


west,  we  tacked  about  again,  sailing  then  about  W.  S.  W., 
with  a  rolling  sea,  and  making  little  progress.  We 
calculated  our  latitude  was  the  same  as  yesterday.  The 
distance  run  was  seventy-two  miles,  and  the  longitude  about 
1°  18'.  By  evening  took  the  wind  again  gradually  till  we 
had  to  furl  in  our  topsails.  Course  N".  1ST.  W. ;  in  the  first 
watch  X.  W. ;  in  the  second  !N\  W.  by  W. ;  and  iu  the 
third  W.  1ST.  W. ;  and  so  the  wind  by  degrees  changed  to 
the  south. 

August  Is/,  Tuesday.  It  still  blew  hard  from  the  S.  W. 
"We  saw  a  ship  ahead  of  us  to  the  leeward,  coming  towards 
us  under  full  sail,  and  steering  for  us  in  order,  apparently, 
to  speak  us;  but  in  consequence  of  the  rolling  of  the 
sea,  she  could  not  come  close  to  us.  She  flew  the  flag  of 
the  Prince  (of  Orange),  and  we  the  English  flag*.  She  then 
sailed  by  us,  so  that  we  could  distinguish  the  vessel.  She 
was  the  Eendracht  (Union)  of  Flissiugen  (Flushing),  the 
same  one  which  the  East  India  ship  took  from  the  English, 
and  carried  to  Hamburg  in  the  year  1673.  We  found  the 
longitude  at  noon  49°  4'.  The  wind  increased  more  and 
more  till  it  blew  a  storm.  We  not  only  took  in  the  topsails, 
but  had  to  reef  in  the  lower  sails,  and  so  lay  over  the  whole 
night,  N".  N".  W.,  making  little  progress.  There  was  a 
great  noise,  moaning,  and  lamentation  among  the  women 
between  decks  in  the  dark,  for  they  could  not  lie  down,  or 
sit  or  stand,  in  consequence  of  the  tossing  of  the  ship. 
But  we  kept  up  our  spirits  and  courage.  We  had  several 
hard  showers  of  rain,  accompanied  with  wind;  but  after 
midnight  the  weather  began  to  moderate,  and  the  sea  to  fall. 
It  was  very  cold  the  whole  night,  and  although  it  was  in 
the  middle  of  summer,  and  we  were  further  south  than 
Holland,  we  had  to  clothe  ourselves  well. 

2'/,  Wednesday.  The  wind  subsided  a  little  in  the  day 
watch,  and  we  made  sail  again,  being  able  to  sail  W.  by  K, 
with  fair  speed.    The  latitude  at  noon  was  50°  39';  the 


52 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


distance  was  computed  to  be  eighty-eight  miles;  the  course 
W.  X.  N.,  and  X.  W.  by  W.,  and  the  longitude  358°. 
Daring  the  night  the  wind  blew  sharper  again. 

3d,  Thursday.  This  morning,  the  wind  being  very  fresh, 
we  tacked  about  and  sailed  8.;  but  about  noon,  observing 
two  ships  to  the  leeward  of  us,  we  tacked  back  again. 
These  ships  observing  us,  immediately  tacked  about  with 
us,  causing  again  no  little  li  ar  in  our  ship.  One  of  them 
was  a  large  ship,  the  other  a  ketch ;  but  in  about  an  half 
an  hour  they  both  left  us.  They  were  without  doubt  ships 
on  their  homeward  voyage,  and  would  have  spoken  us,  for 
they  laid  their  course  towards  the  channel.  AVe  sailed  X. 
"W.,  and  gradually  more  westerly.  AVe  were  in  51°  21'  of 
latitude,  and  357°  10'  longitude ;  our  course  was  X.  W.  by 
W.,  and  distance  seventy-two  miles.  In  the  afternoon  the 
wind  increasing  and  blowing  in  gusts,  we  reefed  the  topsails 
and  let  them  stand  so  for  the  night. 

4t/i,  Friday.  The  topsails  were  taken  in  during  the  day 
watch,  for  though  the  wind  was  in  the  same  direction  as 
before,  it  blew  harder  and  we  had  to  lie  to  a  little  in  a 
good  rain,  thus  making  but  little  progress.  We  found  the 
latitude  51°  49' ;  the  distance  we  calculated  at  eighty  miles, 
the  longitude  355°  30',  and  the  course  X.  W.  by  W.  At 
noon  the  wind  was  due  west,  so  that  we  could  only  keep 
to  the  north.  At  evening  we  tacked  over  on  the  other 
bow,  and  could  then  sail  S.  W.  and  S.  W.  by  S.  But  the 
wind  crept  back  again  to  the  west,  with  heavy  squalls, 
during  the  whole  night,  and  finally  was  "W.  S.  W. 

oth,  Saturday.  In  the  day-watch  the  wind  fell  off,  and  the 
topsails  were  again  set.  The  wind  was  more  and  more 
southerly.  Our  latitude  was  51°  9';  the  course  S.,  so  that 
we  had  kept  the  same  longitude  and  progressed  as  much 
as  the  dift'erence  in  latitude.  The  reefs  of  the  topsails 
were  let  out  and  the  cross-sails  made.  The  wind  then 
was  S.  E.  and  E.  S.  E.,  and  we  held  our  course  with  a 


WHALES. 


53 


stiff  backstay  breeze,  carrying  all  sail,  and  making  fine 
be  ad  way. 

6th,  Sunday.  Tbe  wind  favorable  witb  a  tbick  mist, 
wbicb  cleared  up  about  nine  o'clock,  wben  it  was  quite 
calm.  A  girl  attempting  to  rinse  out  tbe  sbip's  mop  let  it 
fall  overboard,  wbercupon  the  captain  put  tbe  ship 
immediately  to  the  wind  and  launched  the  jolly-boat,  into 
which  two  sailors  placed  themselves  at  the  risk  of  their 
lives  in  order  to  recover  a  swab,  which  was  not  worth  six 
cents.  As  tbe  waves  were  running  high,  there  was  no 
chance  of  getting  it,  for  we  could  not  see  it  from  the  ship. 
Yet  the  whole  voyage  must  be  delayed;  these  seamen 
be  sent  roving  at  the  risk  of  their  lives ;  we,  with  all  the 
rest,  must  work  fruitlessly  for  an  hour  or  an  hour  and  a 
half,  and  all  that  merely  to  satisfy  and  please  the  miserable 
covetousness  of  Margaret.  Such  wretched  man-servers 
were  these  quakers.  The  jolly-boat  came  back,  and  we 
could  not,  without  great  difficulty  and  damage,  get  the  sailors 
out  of  it,  and  haul  the  boat  on  board  again.  They  looked 
as  pale  as  if  they  were  dead;  one  of  them  was  poor  Robin. 
Every  thing  being  secured  Ave  again  got  under  sail.  It 
was  so  foggy  at  noon,  we  could  not  take  the  latitude.  The 
calculation  was,  it  was  four  miles  less  than  yesterday. 
Our  course  had  been  W.  S.  W.  and  W.  by  S. ;  the  distance 
run  was  about  eighty  miles;  the  longitude  353°  20'.  In 
the  afternoon  the  wind  being  ahead  we  had  to  lay  over  on 
the  other  bow,  and  then  we  could  only  sail  W.  N.  W. ;  but 
by  evening  it  began  to  blow  and  rain  so  hard  that  the 
topsails  had  to  be  taken  in,  and  the  mainsails  struck.  We 
were  sailing  on  a  cross  sea,  by  reason  of  which  our  ship 
pitched  so  much  that  we  could  not  stand  or  sit ;  but  about 
midnight  the  weather  moderated,  the  sky  became  clear ; 
though  the  ship  tossed  still  more  than  before. 

7///,  Monday.  At  day-break  it  was  entirely  calm,  with 
the  wind  to  the  west,  so  that  we  drifted,  with  muzzled 


54 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


sails,  in  fine  weather  and  sunshine.  The  latitude  ohserved 
to-day  was,  50°  58';  the  distance  run  was  calculated  to  he 
thirty-two  miles;  the  entire  course  held  about  west.  It 
remained  calm  the  whole  day  and  the  following  night. 

8th,  Tuesday.  We  had  drifted  in  this  way  all  night ;  but 
in  the  morning,  there  sprung  up  a  light  breeze  from  the 
east,  which  shifted  a  little  to  the  north,  and  increased  so, 
that  we  soon  set  sail,  and  for  some  hours  made  good 
progress.  About  nine  o'clock  we  saw  a  large  fish,  some 
said  it  was  a  pots-hop,1  others  that  it  was  a  North-caper 
whale.2  He  had  remained  long  enough  with  his  back 
above  water  to  be  seen,  spouting  the  sea- water  high  up  in 
the  air,  like  smoke.  He  swam  close  by  the  ship,  before 
and  behind;  so  that  we  all  looked  at  him,  his  tumbling 
affording  us  a  sweet  and  innocent  amusement.  In  the 
meanwhile  it  continued  misty  and  rainy.  The  wind  was 
3ST.  E.,  and  the  course  S.  W.  by  W.  We  calculated  the 
latitude  to  be  50°  30';  the  distance  forty  miles;  and  the 
longitude  351°  50'.  The  wind  fell  off  towards  evening ; 
though  while  the  sails  remained  wet,  we  went  ahead 
tolerably  fast,  which  encouraged  the  passengers  as  well  as 
the  others. 

9th,  Wednesday.  The  wind  and  course  the  same  as  before ; 
the  weather  misty  and  rainy;  and  the  progress  good. 
Although  we  were  now  midway  between  the  Land's  End 
and  Newfoundland,  we  saw  to  day  a  small  bird,  a  sort  of 
snipe.  It  was  a  little  smaller  than  a  virvitan.  I  think  I 
have  seen  the  like  in  Frieslaud;  but  we  had  noticed 
every  day  so  many  other  water  fowl,  that  I  did  not  observe 
this  one  particularly.  In  consequence  of  the  fog,  we  took 
no  latitude,  but  computed  it  49°  30' ;  the  distance  sailed 
one  hundred  and  twenty  miles ;  the  longitude  349°  25' ; 


The  spermaceti  whale. 

The  ordinary  whale  from  the  North  cape. 


PORPOISES. 


55 


and  the  course  S.  W.  by  W.  In  the  afternoon  it  was  still ; 
in  the  evening  more  so ;  and  at  night  we  drifted  along 
becalmed. 

10th,  Thursday.  In  the  day-watch  the  wind  was  from 
the  west.  We  had  for  some  days  perceived  fish,  and  did 
again  to  day,  but  we  could  not  catch  any.  There  was  also 
a  large  whale  or  fin-fish  near  the  ship,  which  we  could  see 
fully.  About  eleven  o'clock,  we  observed  a  large  ship 
ahead  of  us  on  the  larboard.  Every  one  immediately  was 
alarmed  again.  The  'wind  being  at  the  same  time  from 
the  east,  we  sailed  S.  and  S.  by  E.,  in  order  to  remain  to 
the  windward  of  the  ship,  which  continued  sailing  in 
company  with  us  thus  the  whole  day.  We  found  the 
latitude  at  noon,  49°  6' ;  the  progress  made  was  calculated 
at  seventy-two  miles ;  the  longitude  347°  20',  and  the  main 
course  W.  by  S.  Towards  evening,  the  ship  hoisted  her 
sails,  which  still  more  excited  suspicion.  Night  coming 
on,  and  she  being  yet  to  the  leeward,  almost  out  of  sight, 
the  wind  too  being  south,  Ave  ran  straight  before  the  wind, 
due  north,  without  any  light  in  the  binnacle,  in  order  that 
no  flickering  might  be  produced  which  would  enable  it  to 
be  seen  from  a  distance.  It  was  calm,  with  occasional 
breezes,  and  we  sailed  so  the  Avhole  night. 

llth,  Friday.  The  wind  during  the  day-watch  again  S. 
E.,  and  more  easterly,  and  we  accordingly  lay  upon  our 
old  course,  S.  S.  W.  We  looked  after  ships,  but  could  see 
none,  which  allayed  the  fears  of  the  passengers,  and 
especially  of  Mr.  Jan,  who,  however,  imagined  he  had 
seen  the  other  ship  yet  this  morning.  "We  obtained  the 
latitude,  which  was  49°  16' ;  the  course  about  W.  by  K; 
the  distance  according  to  the  log-board  of  yesterday  till 
now,  was  about  thirty-two  miles.  At  times  we  had  a  light 
wind,  at  others  it  was  calm,  and  so  it  continued  the  whole 
night.    The  longitude  was  346°  20'. 

12lh,  Saturday.  We  were  somewhat  aroused  at  night,  by 


56 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK 


two  large  whales,  which  swam  in  the  dog-watch1  close  up 
to  the  ship,  and  drove  sleep  from  our  eyes  hy  their  hard 
blowing.  It  was  pleasant  and  diverting  in  the  clear 
atmosphere  to  see  them.  In  the  day-watch  the  sky  began 
to  be  overcast,  and  a  good  wind  to  blow,  which  kept 
increasing  till  noon.  During  the  morning  there  were  many 
tunny  fish  around  the  ship  or  sea-hogs,  for  their  heads  and 
snouts  are  just  like  those  of  swine,  and  when  they  are  cut 
open,  so  are  their  entrails.2  They  amused  us  with  their 
quick  swimming  and  tumbling.  The  harpoons  and  pikes 
were  made  ready,  but  none  of  them  were  struck.  We 
found  the  latitude  at  noon  48°  58';  the  course,  W.  S.  TV., 
the  calculated  distance  forty-four  or  forty-eight  miles ;  and 
the  longitude  345°  25'.  In  the  afternoon  the  breeze 
increased  still  more,  and  put  all  in  good  spirits ;  but  our 
hearts  ascended  higher,  and  adored  the  giver  of  the  wind, 
who  brings  it  forth  from  his  treasury  when  it  pleases  him. 
The  breeze  was  fresh  out  of  the  northeast,  and  our  course, 
TV".  N.  TV". ;  and  so  we  advanced. 

13///,  Sunday.  This  morning  the  wind  and  course  were 
the  same  as  before,  with  misty  and  rainy  weather,  which 
made  the  sails  tight,  and  aided  our  progress.  There 
were  many  tunnies  this  morning  around  the  ship,  which 
again  diverted  us  by  their  exhibitions  and  celerity;  but 
none  of  them  were  harpooned.  It  was  so  foggy  we  could 
not  obtain  an  observation  of  the  sun,  which  we  preferred 
to  miss  rather  than  lose  the  headway  we  were  making, 
TVe  computed  it  to  be  48°  20';  the  distance  run  one 
hundred  and  twenty  miles;  the  course  TV.  S.  TV.,  a  little 
more  west;  the  longitude  342°  30'.  TVe  had  now  for 
several  days  had  an  entirely  different  air,  which  felt  sweet 
and  agreeable,  especially  when  the  weather  wTas  clear  and 

1  The  two  short  watches  between  4  and  6  o'clock,  and  6  and  8  o'clock 
p.  m.  are  called  dog-watches. 

2  Porpoises.- 


HALF-WAY  ACROSS. 


57 


fine  ;  and  even  when  it  was  cloudy  and  misty  it  was  not 
so  cold  or  sharp,  hut  very  pleasant  and  desirable.  I  knew 
I  breathed  differently  from  what  I  did  before.  There  was 
no  moon,  and  we  made  rapid  progress;  and  it  seemed  the 
whole  night,  as  if  we  were  sailing  through  fire,  in 
consequence  of  the  sparkling  of  the  water. 

14th,  Monday.  From  noon  yesterday,  and  so  on  the  night 
through,  we  had  made  very  good  progress,  though  not  so 
great  as  the  day  before,  the  wind  being  somewhat  lighter 
and  more  northerly,  and  during  the  night  1ST.  ~W. 
Last  evening  we  had  a  great  many  porpoises  around  the 
ship,  which,  after  supper,  again  amused  us.  At  night  the 
sea  sparkled,  and  other  fish  appeared  near  the  ship,  bennets, 
dolphins  and  others,  but  we  could  not  catch  any  of  them. 
Our  course  was  still  W.  S.  "W.,  with  a  light  breeze.  As  it 
was  cloudy  we  could  not  obtain  the  latitude,  but  calculated 
we  were  in  47°  30' ;  our  progress  one  hundred  and  four 
miles;  longitude  340°  30';  the  course  W.  S.  W.  The  sea 
had  been  for  several  days  so  smooth  that  the  ship  went 
ahead  almost  as  gently  as  if  we  had  been  sailing  on  a 
river;  but  to-night  we  feared  this  would  not  last  long, 
for  we  began  to  have  some  great  threatenings  out  of  the 
1ST.  N".  W.  The  wind  also  pulled  so  we  could  not  sail 
sharp  by  the  wind.  So  we  ran  S.  ~W.  by  "W.,  with  fair 
progress.  It  began  to  blow  a  little  more,  and  we  took  in 
the  top  gallant  sails. 

15^,  Tuesday.  The  wind  W.  if.  W.,  so  we  kept  on  our 
old  course,  and  made  rapid  headway.  About  ten  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  we  saw  a  ship  ahead  of  us  to  the  leeward, 
doing  her  best  to  come  up  to  us;  but  not  seeking  or 
caring  for  that,  we  sailed  a  point  higher,  that  is  W.  S.  W., 
our  old  course ;  and  continuing  on  this  course,  we  saw  that 
we  outsailed  her,  and  she  fell  off  directly  behind  us.  The 
sun  broke  out  occasionally,  and  we  endeavored  to  obtain  an 
observation,  but  we  could  not  hit  it  exactly,  in  consequence 
8 


58 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


of  the  clouds  and  rolling  sea;  and  I  dared  not,  therefore, 
trust  my  own  altogether.  It  was  40°  G';  the  computed 
distance  one  hundred  and  thirty-six  miles;  the  main  course 
S.  "W.  by  W.,  a  little  westerly.  "We  reckoned  we  had  at 
noon  to-day  completed  half  our  voyage,  and  we  raised  our 
hearts  to  God  in  thankfulness  that  he  Lad  hitherto  preserved 
us  by  his  fatherly  care.  Being  now  out  of  danger  from 
the  Turks  our  enemies,  and  as  we  thought,  for  the  most 
part,  from  storms,  we  supplicated  him  to  continue  his 
blessings  towards  our  persons,  and  towards  the  purpose  to 
which  he  has  called  us,  in  order  that  we  may  perform  it 
with  gladness  and  sincerity  of  heart,  to  his  glory,  unto 
the  going  down  of  the  sun.  The  sea  began  to  be  smooth 
again,  and  the  wind  to  abate. 

16/A,  Wednesday.  In  the  day-watch  it  was  perfectly  calm. 
At  day-light,  we  found  ourselves  between  two  ships,  one 
lying  close  by  us  to  the  windward,  with  mizzen  sail  hoisted, 
and  the  other  lay  astern  of  us  to  the  leeward,  they  being 
in  company,  as  it  appeared  afterwards.  We  perceived  still 
another  vessel  as  far  as  we  could  see,  behind  us.  We  did 
not  know  what  to  think  of  all  this;  sometimes  we  kept  up 
good  courage;  at  other  times  we  were  fearful,  the  more  so 
because  when  we  showed  our  colors  none  of  them  did  the 
like.  The  one  astern  of  us,  being  the  largest,  did  her 
best  to  pass  us,  or  rather  to  get  up  to  her  companion.  As 
we  hauled  off  a  point  or  two  of  the  wind,  our  course 
being  thus  S.  S.  W.,  and  a  little  breeze  springing  up  at  the 
same  time,  each  one  went  her  way;  and  as  they  sailed 
off  by  the  wind,  we  gradually  separated  from  them.  We 
had  no  doubt  they  were  French  ships  bound  for  Xewfound- 
land  or  Canada.  In  looking  at  the  water  we  saw  the 
color  was  changed  as  if  we  were  on  soundings,  which  we 
did  not  doubt,  because  our  reckoning  or  calculation  made 
us  asrainst  the  false  bank  of  Newfoundland.  About  ten 
o'clock  we  saw  another  ship  ahead  of  us,  sailing  on  the 


BANKS  OF  NEWFOUNDLAND. 


59 


same  course  as  the  others,  so  that  we  ran  across  her.  As 
it  was  sunshine  and  calm,  it  was  a  good  opportunity  to 
take  the  latitude.  I  found  it  44°  35'.  The  course  was  S. 
TV.  by  TV",  and  TV.  S.  TV.,  which  entirely  agreed  with  our  being 
as  we  thought  this  morning,  upon  the  false  bank  of  Terre 
Neuf.  The  distance  run  was  one  hundred  and  twelve  miles, 
and  the  longitude  335°  30'.  Although  I  heard  that  I 
differed  in  my  reckoning  from  all  the  others,  except  the 
mate,  which  I  did  not  know,  I  adhered  nevertheless  to  my 
own.  At  noon  we  saw  a  piece  of  wood  drifting,  similar 
to  a  hanging  ladder  with  which  they  climb  trees,  and  some 
sharks  swimming  in  sport  and  continually  tumbling  around 
it.  TVe  threw  out  a  hook  baited  with  a  large  piece  of  pork, 
but  could  not  catch  any  of  them.  By  evening  it  was  quite 
calm,  and  in  the  night  still  more  so. 

17th,  Thursday.  In  the  day- watch  the  wind  was  S.  E., 
and  S.  S.  E.,  but  light,  though  we  could  keep  our  course. 
The  water  was  smooth  and  the  sky  clear,  with  an  entirely 
different  atmosphere  from  that  over  the  sea  in  Holland. 
The  breeze,  however,  began  to  increase  gradually,  and  at 
noon  we  went  forward  finely.  TVe  saw  another  ship  ahead 
of  us,  on  the  larboard,  sailing  west,  like  ourselves.  TVe 
were  able  to  take  the  latitude  very  exactly,  and  found  it 
44°  16'.  Our  progress  we  calculated  at  thirty-two  to 
thirty-six  miles,  but  setting  our  plan  on  the  chart  of 
increasing  degrees  upon  the  obtained  latitude,  according 
to  the  course  sailed,  we  found  we  must  have  gone  a  greater 
distance.  There  must  either  have  been  some  current,  or 
the  plan  of  the  foregoing  day  did  not  stand  southerly 
enough ;  for  it  should  have  stood  at  35'  and  did  stand  at 
58',  that  is  23'  difference.  The  longitude  was  333°.  TVe 
expected  to  see  some  signs  of  the  bank  of  Newfoundland, 
as  we  had  for  a  day  or  two  sailed  through  very  many 
guallen  or  galls,  besides  some  little  mizzcns  or  galleys,  which 
are  a  kind  of  galls,  drifting  or  sailing  upon  the  water, 


* 


60  VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 

having  membranes  like  a  small  sail,  in  the  form  of  a 
mizzen  or  galley  sail,  from  which  they  are  so  called.1  These 
were  all  signs  of  the  hanks  of  Newfoundland.  However, 
I  dared  not  trust  myself  entirely,  because  others  who  had 
so  much  more  experience  in  those  things  than  I  had,  did 
not  make  us  so  far  west.  At  noon  it  blew  harder,  and  we 
had  a  rolling  sea  from  the  S.  S.  W.,  so  that  our  topgallant 
sails  were  taken  in.  The  sea  did  not  look  entirely  blue  nor 
black,  as  it  does  where  there  is  no  bottom,  but  a  clearer 
green,  almost  the  same  as  you  see  in  running  out  of  the 
channel ;  but  about  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  we  observed 
the  water  had  perceptibly  changed  greener,  but  by  dark  it 
was  all  gone  again.  We  judged  from  this  circumstance, 
that  we  had  sailed  certainly  over  a  point  of  the  great  bank, 
as  our  calculation  showed. 

18/A,  Friday.  The  wind  continued  N.  N.  E.  and  K,  and 
we  kept  our  course.  We  observed  some  paleness  in  the 
water.  My  good  friend  having  eaten  last  evening  some 
salted  fish,  cold,  and  only  with  a  little  vinegar,  was  seized 
in  the  night  with  a  severe  pain  in  his  stomach,  but  having 
taken  about  nine  o'clock  a  little  warm  wine,  with  Spanish 
soap,  he  vomited  and  felt  better,  and  began  to  rest  and 
recover,  for  which  we  were  tenderly  sensible  of  the  goodness 
of  our  Father.  This  morning  a  ship  ahead  of  us  to  the  wind- 
ward, came  straight  down  upon  us,  evidently  with  the  design 
of  speaking  to  us.  We  braced  the  foresail  to  the  mast  and 
waited  for  her.    As  she  approached  she  let  fly  the  English 


1  Besaenties  of  galleytks.  Reference  is  here  made  to  a  species  of  vivified 
substance,  — the  physctlis  pelagicus,  commonly  called,  by  sailors,  the 
Portuguese  man-of-war,  which  floats  like  the  nautilus  upon  the  surface  of 
the  sea,  with  its  body  inflated  in  order  to  catch  the  wind,  as  a  sail,  and 
with  tentacles  extending  below  to  guide  it.  The  common  stinging  gall  of  our 
waters  belongs  to  the  same  family.  Our  word  gall  as  applied  to  such 
fishy  matter,  seems  to  be  a  local  word,  handed  down  to  us  by  the  Dutch 
settlers. 


IN  LATITUDE  OF  SANDY  HOOK. 


Gl 


flag,  and  we  immediately  did  the  same.  She  ran  astern  of 
us,  and  we  hailed  her.  She  was  from  the  West  India 
islands,  bound  for  England.  We  told  them  where  we 
were  from  and  where  hound,  and  how  it  stood  with 
England  and  France ;  with  which  they  were  content,  and 
sailed  on  their  course,  and  we  on  ours.  We  found  the 
latitude  at  noon  43°  34';  the  distance  eighty  miles,  and  the 
longitude  334°  20'.  In  the  afternoon  it  began  to  blow  hard, 
and  we  reefed  our  topsails.  The  wind  kept  increasing 
more  and  more,  and  at  evening  we  could  sail  only  W.  by 
S.,  and  in  the  first  watch,  only  west.  It  blew  so  hard  that 
the  topsails  were  taken  in ;  and  the  wind  sharpening  up 
still  more,  we  wore  around  about  midnight  and  steered  S. 
S.  W.,  making  little  headway  in  consequence  of  the  rolling 
of  the  sea  and  the  short  sail  on. 

19th,  Saturday.  The  wind  abating  somewhat  at  day-light, 
the  topsails  were  set  again;  but  the  wind  afterwards 
springing  up  on  the  other  bow,  we  could  at  last  only  sail 
southerly.  The  latitude  at  noon  was  43°  12';  the  whole 
distance  run  from  noon  yesterday  was  sixty  miles,  and  the 
longitude  was  330°  20'.  In  the  afternoon  we  saw  weeds 
drifting,  which  grow  on  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  and  in 
Holland,  on  piles  which  stand  in  the  salt  water,  by  which 
we  were  confirmed  in  our  belief  that  we  were  on  the  banks. 
We  had  not  had  for  a  day  or  two  those  heavy  swells,  but 
short  and  pushing  ones  as  they  are  in  the  North  sea,  beating 
against  each  other.  We  could  now  sail  only  S.  by  E.  and 
S.  S.  E.,  but  the  wind  afterwards  running  out  we  sailed  S. 
by  W.  and  S.  S.  W. 

20th,  Sunday.  The  wind  being  still  westerly,  we  sailed 
S.  by  W.  and  S.  S.  W.,  and  it  blowing  a  little  harder,  we 
reefed  our  main  topsail  again.  A  whale  aroused  us  for 
a  while  with  his  tumbling  around  the  ship.  We  saw  also 
flying  fish,  from  which  we  supposed  there  were  dorados  or 
other  fish  near  by,  but  we  neither  saw  nor  caught  any. 


G2 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YOKE. 


We  found  the  elevation  of  the  pole  above  the  horizon  at 
noon  to  be  42°  12' ;  the  course  due  south ;  the  distance  from 
bestek  to  bestekf  sixty  to  sixty-four  miles;  and  of  course  the 
same  longitude  as  before,  330°  20'.  The  wind  continued 
westerly,  and  we  made  no  great  progress. 

21s/,  Monday.  The  wind  kept  the  same,  and  we 
continued  the  same  course.  The  latitude  was  40°  34', 
being  that  of  Sandy  Hook  in  New  Xetherland,  and  we  only 
wished  now  an  easterly  wind  which  might  carry  us  about 
twelve  hundred  miles  westerly.  The  distance  traversed 
was  eighty  to  eighty-four  miles;  the  longitude  330°;  and 
the  course  nearly  S.  by  "W.  Our  cooper  was  a  little 
Priesland  boor  from  Bolswart,  whom  Margaret  had  hired 
for  four  years,  for  twenty-eight  dollars  a  year.  He  had  to 
work  hard  at  his  trade  on  board  the  ship,  although  his 
wages  were  not  to  commence  until  he  reached  land, 
It  has  been  frequently  a  wonder  to  me  that  he  has  not 
recognized  me,  for  he  has  at  *       *       *  *.2 

Ilendrick,  the  ship's  pump-maker,  worked  a  little  at  our 
house,  where  I  have  seen  him  myself,  and  although  he 
claimed  no  acquaintance,  he  complained  to  me  at  times 
how  Margaret  had  cheated  him,  and  all  who  were  now  in 
her  service.  He  began  to-day  to  make  some  buckets  in 
which  he  could  not  succeed  very  well  for  want  of  tools.  I 
had  compassionating  blood,  and  helped  him  make  them  right. 
I  made  him  a  bucket,  at  which  Mr.  Jan  and  the  captain 

*We  adopt  this  word  from  the  Dutch  of  the  journal  for  the  sake  of 
convenience,  as  there  does  not  appear  to  be  any  corresponding  word  in 
English.  It  is  used  to  indicate  a  plan  or  plot  marked  out  on  a  chart  for 
the  purpose  of  designating  the  course  of  a  ship  during  the  preceding  day, 
or  any  other  given  time,  and  the  point  attained  in  sading,  during  that 
period.  It  is  employed  in  the  present  instance  in  the  text,  metonymically, 
to  signify  the  time  of  day  of  making  the  plot  or  plan.  From  bestek  to 
bestek  therefore  means  here,  from  noon  of  the  preceding  day  to  noon  of  the 
clay  under  mention.   It  seems  to  have  been  a  kind  of  traverse  table. 

2 This  blank  occurs  in  the  original,  in  which  it  is  left  purposely  unfilled. 


A  SUNSET  AND  FULL  MOON. 


63 


were  highly  pleased,  and  that  perhaps  was  the  reagon  why- 
Mr.  Jan  was  so  liberal  of  Margaret's  property,  for  he  gave 
every  one  of  our  mess  a  glass  of  Madeira  wine,  which  was 
quite  a  wonder,  for  we  had  never  seen  any  thing  of  the 
kind  in  him.  Towards  evening  the  ship  was  washed  out, 
and  in  doing  it,  they  found  a  sea-cat  asleep  which  was  not 
longer  than  a  finger,  but  really  monstrous.  "We  supposed 
from  this  circumstance  we  were  near  dorados  or  dolphins, 
but  we  discovered  none.  The  wind  was  somewhat  northerly, 
so  that  we  could  sail  S.  W.  and  ~W.  S.  "W".,  but  it  changed 
back  again  afterwards.  The  sea,  which  was  exceedingly 
smooth,  and  a  very  clear  and  soft  sky,  made  the  evening 
hour  extremely  fine.  The  sky,  with  thin  transparent  snow- 
white  clouds  upon  its  glittering  blue,  was  adorned  by 
a  bright,  clear  setting  sun,  which,  in  proportion  as  it 
declined  and  departed  to  another  world,  there  to  display 
the  splendor  which  the  creator  has  bestowed  upon  him, 
changed  these  clouds  from  white  to  shining  brightness, 
and  imparted  to  them  for  a  while  the  golden  luster  of 
his  fire.  The  sky  around  was  not  a  pure  sky-blue,  but 
was  of  a  mixed  blue  and  green,  sparkling  like  the  flame 
when  copper  is  brought  to  a  glowing  heat;  that  which 
was  nearer  the  sun  being  more  like  the  sun,  and  that 
further  removed  from  him,  gradually  fading  into  bright 
blue  mingled  with  silver;  so  that  we  not  only  saw  all  the 
colors  of  the  rainbow,  but  all  hues  and  colors,  all  shining 
according  to  their  natures,  with  a  brilliancy  of  their  own, 
displaying  them  in  that  perfect  splendor,  which  is  so 
agreeable,  and  capable  of  enrapturing  man.  But  one  of 
the  greatest  beauties  to  be  observed  was  their  wonderful 
unity  or  harmony,  or  blending  together ;  for  although  these 
colors  and  shining  splendors  were  as  manifold  as  the 
degrees  and  minutes,  yea  points  of  removal  from  their 
centre,  the  sun,  which  shone  the  brightest  and  most,  yet 
one  could  not  discover  where  they  separated  or  where  they 


64 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORE. 


united,*  or  even  a  point  where  one  could  be  distinguished 
from  the  next,  so  united  were  they  all,  and  so  manifold 
and  distinct  was  their  unity  without  being  divided.  And 
although  all  this  had  a  great  and  starry  brightness,  it  was 
nevertheless  so  moderated  and  tempered  through  all  the 
diversity  of  colors  that  we  could  not  only  look  at  each 
one  in  particular,  but  also  the  whole  together,  yea  even  at 
the  sun  itself,  the  centre  of  this  lordly  perspective,  and 
distinct  from  these  surrounding  splendors,  as  the  extreme 
point  of  their  concentration.    No  part  lost  any  thing  by 
viewing  the  whole,  and  the  whole  lost  nothing  by  viewing 
a  part,  nor  did  any  one  part  lose  by  viewing  any  other 
part,  nor  the  most  excellent  by  viewing  the  least,  nor  the 
least,  by  viewing  the  most  excellent,  so  exact  was  their 
unity  in  their  multiplicity,  and  their  multiplicity  in  their 
unity.    ISTo  sooner  had  their  glorious  beauty  left  us,  than 
turning  around  we  saw  not  indeed  the  same,  but  its 
expression  and  projection,  in  a  full  moon,  coming  up  in 
the  east,  as  the  sun  was  setting  in  the  west.    And  as  the 
one  had  shown  himself  like  burning  gold,  the  other  showed 
herself  as  well  polished,  or  burnished  silver,  upon  the  same 
field  as  the  sun  had  done,  but  according  to  her  nature  and 
power  and  color ;  for  as  the  sky  and  the  clouds  which  were 
next  the  sun  participated  most  in  the  color  of  the  sun,  so 
those  nearest  the  moon  had  the  greatest  resemblance  to 
the  moon.     These  indeed  were  as  white  as  snow  and 
transparent,  so  that  the  light  of  the  moon  shining  through 
their  white  thinness  gave  them  a  luster  like  silver  and  that 
upon  a  heaven's  blue  field.    The  outermost  clouds  were 
black  or  dark,  while  the  outermost  of  the  other  (the  sun) 
were  a  pure  white,  so  that  the  one  began  with  a  color  and 
glory  with  which  the  other  terminated. 

The  peculiar  feelings  which  the  Lord  excited  in  us  over 
these  and  the  like  occurrences  are  not  the  material  for  the 
relation  of  a  voyage.    They  can  be  expressed  in  some 


PORPOISES  AND  FLYING  FISH.  65 

other  place  or  perhaps  never.  lie  is  master,  and  does  as 
it  pleases  him. 

I  have  strayed  far  out  of  my  course,  and  must  look 
again  upon  the  compass  and  see  how  we  sailed.  It  was 
about  S.  S.  W,  and  S.  W.  by  S.,  through  the  whole  night, 
during  which  it  was  very  warm.  In  the  day-time  we  were 
on  deck,  under  the  sails,  which  threw  down  upon  us  much 
of  the  wind  they  received,  so  that  we  did  not  feel  the  heat ; 
hut  at  night  and  in  our  berth  it  was  much  greater,  because 
there  were  so  many  persons  shut  up  close  together,  the 
greater  portion  of  whom  were  women  and  children.  Right 
over  our  berth  was  the  mate's  wife  with  one  child  sick  with 
the  measles,  and  another  one  which  we  expected  every 
moment  to  die,  and  to  which  we  rendered  our  services  by 
giving  our  medicines,  as  well  as  to  others ;  yes,  and  even 
to  Margaret,  after  providence  had  shown  they  were  needful 
to  any  one,  as  well  as  any  thing  else  we  might  have  which 
the  Lord  had  given  us  by  his  goodness. 

22<  /,  Tuesday.  The  wind  having  shifted  a  little,  as  we 
have  said,  we  could  sail  only  S.  W.  and  S.  ~W.  by  S.,  with 
a  light  breeze  and  a  smooth  sea.  The  weather  was  fine  and 
pleasant,  but  warm,  so  that  we  were  dressed  in  somewhat  less 
than  our  summer  clothing.  Many  began  to  go  bare-legged ; 
and  to  sleep  out  of  their  berths.  "We  found  the  latitude  at 
noon  39°  27',  the  course  S.  W.,  the  distance  computed  at 
ninety-two  to  ninety-six  miles,  and  the  longitude  328°  24'. 
"When  we  came  from  table  at  noon,  we  were  diverted  with 
a  very  pleasant  exhibition  upon  the  smooth  and  level 
surface  of  the  sea.  A  great  fleet  of  porpoises  came  from 
the  south,  extending  as  far  off  as  we  could  see,  leaping 
and  tumbling  with  such  swiftness  and  speed  towards  our 
ship,  that  it  seemed  as  if  they  would  certainly  have  taken 
it  by  storm.  It  is  incredible  how  far  they  sprang  up  into 
the  air;  but  us  they  came  near  to  us  they  checked 
themselves,  and  went  swimming,  leaping  and  tumbling 
9 


<;i; 


VOYAUE  TO  NEW  VORK. 


around  US.    One  of  the  largest  of  them  sprung  full  the 
length  of  a  man  high  out  of  the  water,  and  cutting  capew 
in  the  air,  made  every  one  laugh;  then  fell  backward* 
between  two  waves  and  disappeared  heneath  them,  and 
wo  saw  him  no  more.    This  was  the  final  exhibition  in  the 
scene,  which  lasted  half  an  hour,  and  then  they  all  left. 
There  were  flying  fish  also  flying  out  of  the  water  while 
the  others  were  swimming  in  it.    Some  are  of  opinion 
that  these  do  not  fly,  but  only  spring  out  of  the  water;  but 
I  ain  certain  such  persons  have  never  well  looked  at  this 
fish,  or  observed  how  it  flies.    Jt  is  about  the  size  of 
a  herring,  though  we  saw  none  as  large  as  that  during  the 
voyage ;  it  is  more  like  the  smelt.    Close  behind  the  head 
where  other  fish  usually  have  two  small  fins,  the  flying  fish 
has  two  long  ones,  which  when  stretched  out,  reach  nearly 
to  the  tail.    The  fins'  have  five  or  six  little  bones  in  them, 
which  beginning  at  the  end  of  the  fin  run  finer  and  finer 
to  nothing,  and  constitute  the  strength  of  the  fin.  You 
never  see  this  fish  spring  out  of  the  water  like  other  fish, 
and  fall  in  it  again ;  but  it  comes  from  the  water  not  upward, 
but  like  an  arrow  shot  from  a  bow,  spreading  its  two  fins 
like  wings  which  it  does  not  flap  as  the  feathered  tribe 
does,  for  it  is  not  of  that  nature ;  but  moves  them  quickly 
and  gently,  the  same  as  a  certain  insect  which  I  have  seen  in 
Europe,  and  which  in  Friesland  they  call  coolwachter  and  in 
the  land  of  Cleves  rontbout.    It  is  true  it  does  not  fly  high, 
although  sometimes  it  flies  as  high  as  a  ship;  nor  far,  yet  as 
far  as  a  musket  shot ;  but  whether  it  be  true  that  it  cannot 
fly  any  further,  because  its  wings  are  dry,  or  because  it 
has  no  power  to  sustain  its  body  longer  in  the  air,  which  is 
more  probably  the  truth,  or  for  both  reasons,  I  cannot  say, 
nor  do  . I  believe  any  body  can.    It  flies  seldom  alone,  but 
in  schools  sometimes  of  hundreds  together.    Fish  in  the 
sea  swim  together  much  in  schools  or  fleets,  and  it  seldom 
happens  when  you  see  a  fish  of  a  certain  kind  alone  that 


A  MONSTER  MACKEREL. 


67 


there  are  not  more  of  the  same  sort  to  be  seen  about. 
When  a  school  of  other  fish,  whether  dorados  or  others, 
come  among  a  school  of  flying  fish,  which  serve  as  food 
for  them,  and  the  large  fish  hunt  the  flying  fish  for  this 
purpose,  the  flying  fish  strive  to  save  themselves  by  flying. 
This  is  en  passant.  The  view  of  these  fish  was  much  more 
agreeable  than  the  sight  and  smell  of  a  quantity  of  spoiled 
salted  fish  among  our  provisions,  which  was  so  offensive 
you  could  not  stand  near  it,  and  which  was  being  dried  so 
that  it  might  be  used  in  the  ship.  The  wind  freshened  up 
in  the  evening  so  that  we  could  only  sail  S.  S.  W.  and 
S.  W.  by  S.,  and  thus  we  proceeded  the  whole  night. 

23d,  Wednesday.  The  wind  continuing  almost  the  same, 
our  course  was  nearly  the  same,  sometimes  a  little  less,  and 
sometimes  a  little  more  than  S.  W.  by  S.  There  was  a 
light  breeze,  beautiful  and  clear  weather,  and  a  smooth  sea. 
This  was  delightful.  If  one  could  always  have  such  sailing 
on  the  sea,  it  would  be  a  very  agreeable  business.  The 
cheerfulness  which  such  fine  weather  excited  in  us  was  dis- 
turbed when  we  saw  the  captain,  looking  like  a  dark  cloud, 
beat  our  cook  severely  with  a  rope,  for  some  trifling  reason, 
as  they  said ;  but  as  he  is  a  cpiaker,  we  will  take  occasion 
to  describe  him  and  his,  in  another  place.  The  latitude 
to-day  was  37°  51'  the  course  kept  S.  S.  W.,  the  calculated 
distance  112  miles,  and  the  longitude  327°  30'.  At  noon 
we  saw  a  turtle  drifting  past  the  ship,  quite  large,  and  lying 
asleep  on  the  surface  of  the  water.  We  saw  also  a  school 
of  flying  fish.  The  wind  and  our  course  continued  the 
same,  not  only  until  evening,  but  all  night. 

24th,  Thursday.  The  wind  being  still  westerly,  our  course 
was  mostly  S.  W.,  with  a  light  breeze,  calm  sea  and  clear 
sky;  but  the  wind  began  to  shift  gradually  to  the  north  so 
that  we  could  sail  S.  W.  by  W.,  and  finally  W.  S.  W. 
Towards  noon  the  wind  ran  N".,  and  K  by  E.,  but  we  con- 
tinued to  hold  our  course.    Our  latitude  at  noon  was  36° 


G8 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


32',  the  course  S.  AV.,  the  distance  104  miles,  and  the  longi- 
tude 325°  56'.  In  the  afternoon  the  wind  improved  still 
more,  so  that  it  was  due  east,  when  we  sailed  AV.  hy  S.,  and 
this  continued  all  day  and  night,  with  a  good  top-sail  breeze, 

25fh,  Friday.  We  sailed  till  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning 
AV.  by  S.,  when  we  changed  our  course  to  the  west,  having 
sailed  upon  the  former  course  according  to  calculation  88 
miles.  The  wind  was  now  E.  N.  E.,  and  thus  for  the  most 
part  we  sailed  before  it,  and  therefore  our  bonnet  sails  were 
made.  AVc  observed  dolphins  or  dorados  ne  ar  the  ship, 
which  arc  agreeable  to  look  at,  especially  when  they  are 
swimming.  AVc  did  our  best  to  catch  or  strike  some  of 
them,  but  without  success.  The  latitude  at  noon  we  found 
to  be  35°  37',  the  distance  sailed  124  to  128  miles,  and  the 
longitude  323°  48'. 

26lh,  Saturday.  The  wind  still  N.  E.,  and  we  kept  our 
course  AV.,  and  AV.  by  N.,  with  a  light  breeze,  fine  weather 
and  a  smooth  sea,  making  fair  headway.  Although  we  had 
hitherto  caught  no  fish,  one  caught  itself  during  the  night. 
The  fish  line  had  been  left  trailing  out  behind  the  ship,  by 
which  means  it  had  been  caught,  and  dragged  along.  It 
was  not  only  dead,  but  the  belly  was  all  burst  open,  by 
reason  of  the  quantity  of  water  which  had  been  forced  in 
it,  for  his  mouth  was  wide  open  with  the  hook  and  line  in 
it.  It  had  strained  the  line  so  that  the  line  itself  was 
almost  parted.  It  was  almost  like  an  eel,  or  rather  a  gcep} 
It  was  so  hideous  and  looked  so  savage,  that  my  companion 
inquired  if  it  were  not  a  sea-devil.  As  he  had  heard  of 
sea-devils,  he  thought  this  certainly  was  one.  I  had  never 
to  my  knowledge  seen  the  like,  except  only  the  picture  of 
one  at  Amsterdam,  caught  under  the  equinoctial,  and 

1 A  small  fish  of  a  sea-green  color,  with  a  long  pointed  nose  like  the  beak 
of  a  snipe.  It  is  caught  by  means  of  nets,  by  thousands  along  the  sea  shore 
of  Holland,  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  and  is  used  to  bait  hooks  to  catch 
other  fish. 


FIVE  WEEKS  FROM  FALMOUTH.  QQ 


painted  on  account  of  its  rarity.  I  have  sketched  it  here 
as  well  as  I  could. 


Its  flesh,  when  it  was  cooked,  was  quite  good,  tasting 
almost  like  a  mackerel's.1  Our  latitude  at  noon  to-day  was 
36°  14';  the  course  held  W.  by  1ST.;  the  distance  sailed  112 
miles;  and  the  longitude  obtained  321°  40';  and  so  our 
progress  continued  this  day  and  the  following  night. 

27th,  Sunday.  Every  thing  went  on  sweetly  during  the 
night.  The  sky  was  beautiful  and  the  sea  still.  Our  course 
west  with  a  light  breeze.  For  two  days,  now,  we  had  per- 
ceived a  motion  of  the  sea  from  the  S.  E.,  which  sometimes 
forbodes  such  a  wind.  We  found  the  latitude  36°  6',  having 
been  carried  a  little  south,  which  sometimes  happens  from 
the  swaying  of  the  rudder,  or  it  indicates  sometimes  a 
current.  The  distance  Ave  had  run  was  seventy-five  miles, 
the  course  more  ~W\  than  W.  by  S.  At  noon  the  wind 
shifted  round  to  the  south.  The  longitude  was  320°.  The 
mate  came  at  noon  to-day,  while  I  was  putting  my  bestek  on 
the  chart,  and  looked  at  it.  He  was  surprised  that  I  was 
so  far  west.  He  said  I  differed  320  miles  from  him,  which 
might  well  be,  as  I  had  never  put  my  knowledge  in 
practice,  and  could  not  now  use  any  thing  except  compasses 
on  the  chart ;  but  the  result  will  show  how  it  was,  though 
we  recalled  afterwards  how  doubtful  he  was  in  his  language 
on  the  subject. 


1  It  appears  to  have  been  the  Spanish  mackerel. 


70 


VOYAGE  TO   NKW  YORK. 


2Hth,  Monday.  The  wind  continued  with  a  light  breeze, 
and  our  course  was  due  west ;  as  the  wind  was  a  little 
more  on  the  side,  we  set  more  sail,  which  drove  the  ship 
more  rapidly  ahead.  The  sea  rolled  a  little  out  of  the 
8.  S.  E.  and  S. ;  its  color  Avas  changed,  as  if  there  were  no 
bottom.  The  latitude  was  35°  52',  so  that  we  had  gained 
a  little  south.  Tlie  distance  we  calculated  at  80  miles. 
The  course  was  S.  and  W.  by  8.,  and  so  continued  during 
the  day  and  night. 

20///,  Tuesday.  During  the  night  we  had  some  gusts  of 
wind,  accompanied  witb  lightning  and  rain.  For  several 
days  it  had  been  very  hot.  The  wind  then  changed  from 
the  S.  H.  to  tli>-  S.  and  S.  S.  W.,  with  heavy  swells  of  the 
sea  from  the  S.  AV.  "We  had  for  several  days  past  seen 
some  arrowtails,  a  species  of  bird  like  sea  gulls,  and  so 
named  because  their  tails  ran  out  shaq>,  like  an  arrow. 
They  are  entirely  white,  with  the  exception  of  a  little  black 
on  the  head  and  extreme  tip  of  the  wings.  They  are 
somewhat  smaller  than  those  I  have  seen  in  the  (West 
India)  islands.  They  kept  flying  around  the  ship  con- 
tinually, as  it'  they  wanted  to  alight,  but  when  they  saw 
the  people  they  flew  away.  We  sailed  close  by  the  wind, 
W.  by  N.  and  W.  N.  W.  The  latitude  at  noon  was  36° 
17',  the  course  W.  by  N".,  the  distance  sailed  64  to  68  miles, 
and  the  longitude  318°  20'.  It  was  five  weeks  to-day  since 
we  left  Falmouth,  and  we  estimated  we  were  still  about 
950  miles  from  our  place  of  destination.  Before  evening 
the  wind  was  S.  S.  W.,  so  that  we  could  not  sail  higher 
than  BT.  X.  W.  and  X.  AV.  It  shifted  at  length  to  W.  and 
W.  K  W.,  so  that  we  had  to  sail  X.  and  K  by  E.  About 
midnight  we  had  a  severe  gust  of  wind  with  much  thunder 
and  lightning  and  heavy  rain.  We  wore  ship  half  round 
to  the  south,  and  were  able  to  sail  S.  W.  and  W.  S.  W., 
although  soon  afterwards  the  wind  subsided. 

30/A,  Wednesday.  The  wind  was  W.  S.  W.,  and  we  there- 


BEGINNING  OF  A  STORM. 


71 


fore  steered  N.  1ST.  W.  and  1ST.  W.,  with  a  rolling  sea,  but 
not  a  hard  Mow,  and  thus  could  make  little  headway.  The 
arrowtails  still  flew  ahout  the  vessel,  and  some  of  them 
came  nearer.  Our  latitude  was  36°  59',  the  course  kept 
W.,  the  distance  sailed  60  miles,  and  the  longitude 
310°.  The  wind  veered  more  and  more  to  the  west,  and 
we  could  only  sail  S.  S.  W.  and  S.  W.  by  W.,  with  a  light 
breeze,  and  making  slow  progress.  This  continued  the 
whole  afternoon,  but  in  the  night  it  became  entirely  calm. 

ol.v/,  Thursday.  The  wind  was  very  still,  and  we  steered 
the  same  as  yesterday ;  but  we  did  nothing  except  drift. 
We  were  in  hopes,  however,  of  a  good  wind,  and  it 
seemed  with  some  probability,  for  the  sea  swells  came 
strong  out  of  the  north,  and  there  were  also  heavy  swells 
out  of  the  south  and  S.  S.  W.,  which  struck  very  hard 
against  each  other,  and  caused  the  waves  to  roll  high  in 
the  air,  and  retarded  our  progress.  We  observed  a  large 
sea  pike  near  the  ship,  six  feet  long,  but  we  could  not  catch 
it.  We  could  not  obtain  the  latitude  in  consequence  of  the 
rain.  We  reckoned  our  course  S.  S.  W.  and  S.  by  W. ; 
the  distance  32  to  36  miles,  and  the  longitude  315°  20'. 
We  had  again  a  pleasant  diversion  in  a  large  school  of 
porpoises,  which  came  springing  out  towards  us  as  if  each 
one  wished  to  be  the  first  near  the  ship  or  into  it ;  but  after 
they  had  sported  about  half  an  hour  they  left  us.  In  the 
afternoon  the  wind  blew  from  the  south,  but  not  steadily. 
The  billows  drove  against  each  other  so  that  they  stood 
like  mountains.  A  little  later  the  wind  began  to  blow 
faintly  from  the  north,  and  towards  evening  more  and 
more  from  the  east,  when  the  swells  in  the  south  and  the 
north  began  to  strike  against  each  other,  although  the  wind 
came  between  them  from  the  east,  as  if  to  separate  them. 
About  the  third  hour  of  the  evening-watch  it  thundered 
and  lightened  so  frightfully  that  we  were  all  stupified  and 
blinded.     The  sea  ran  so  high  that  we  worked  lustily  to 


72 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


take  in  all  sail  as  soon  as  possible,  in  order  to  prevent  our 
being  upset.  The  mainsail  was  lowered  and  furled,  but 
we  kept  up  a  little  sail  afore.  We  sailed  then  W.  by  N., 
and  sometimes  W.  by  8.,  till  in  the  day-watch,  when  the 
wind  changing  from  the  east  to  E.  by  S.,  with  thunder  and 
heavy  rain,  we  made  gradually  a  little  more  sail,  but  we 
were  quickly  compelled  by  the  squalls  to  take  it  in  again. 
This  was  in  the  night,  when  we  saw  several  meteors  which 
sat  upon  the  mizzen-mast  and  yard  arm,  which  is  generally 
considered  a  sign  that  the  storm  is  at  its  highest  and  will 
soon  abate;  but  how  this  rule  may  be,  we  had  some 
experience,  and  will  mention.  We  also  heard  a  great 
screaming  of  sea  gulls  and  other  birds,  which  now  in  the 
dark  flew  around  the  ship  and  above  the  masts,  the  like  of 
which  the  mate  and  others,  who  had  long  navigated  the 
sea,  said  they  had  never  heard  before. 

September  1st,  Friday.  The  wind  still  E.  and  E.  S.  E., 
with  a  stiff  breeze ;  but  the  great  swells  from  the  S.  and 
S.  S.  W,  as  well  as  from  the  north,  continued,  by  which 
we  were  tossed  about  the  same  as  we  had  been  for  several 
days.    We  were  afraid  the  ship's  boat  might  be  thrown  out 
of  its  place,  as  it  was  not  too  firmly  fastened,  and  cause  us 
great  inconvenience,  which  we  already  began  to  experience 
from  some  full  water  casks  which  stood  on  deck,  and  were 
rolling  about  loose,  and  which  we  had  great  difficulty  to 
bring  right.    We  could  not  obtain  the  latitude  this  noon, 
in  consequence  of  the  cloudy  sky.    We  calculated  it  to  be 
37°  ;  the  distance  sailed  80  miles,  the  course  W.  by  K,  and 
the  longitude  314°  10'.     The  before  mentioned  birds  re- 
mained with  us  still.    We  saw  also  two  flocks  of  other 
birds,  of  fifteen  or  sixteen  each;  they  were  larger  than 
starlings,  and  of  a  black  color.    They  flew  about  the  ship. 
We  observed,  besides,  great  numbers  of  fish  continually 
springing  out  of  the  water.     At  first  we  supposed  they 
Avere  springers,  a  species  of  fish  so  called  because  they  are 


SPECTRES  OFF  THE  BERMUDAS.  73 

continually  jumping  up  out  of  the  water;  but  these  were 
larger  and  like  haddock.  We  also  saw  a  turtle.  All  these 
signs  denoted  land,  and  the  weather  indicated  the  Ber- 
mudas, that  is  to  say,  the  Bermuda  storms,  for  I  do  not 
know  that  they  ever  pass  this  island  without  encountering 
a  storm.  Long  experience  has  established  the  fact ;  and 
the  old  mariners  call  it  the  sea  of  devils,  not  only  because 
it  is  never  passed  without  a  terrific  storm  and  heavy 
thunder  and  lightning,  but  also  on  account  of  the  appari- 
tions of  frightful  forms  and  faces  and  other  spookery, 
which  appear,  some  really  such,  and  some  frivolous.  How 
it  was  in  the  first  discovery  of  strange  lands  and  wilder- 
nesses, we  cannot  now  say,  or  determine  from  present 
experience,  because  such  things  have  happened  heretofore 
which  no  longer  occur.  As  to  the  storms,  they  are 
established  facts;  as  to  the  sights,  they  are  not  without 
probability,  and  they  were  confirmed,  to  some  extent,  in 
my  mind,  by  our  mate,  who  had  passed  by  this  island 
several  times,  and  had  never  failed  of  the  storms ;  and  as 
for  the  sights,  he  told  me  that  being  once  close  to  the  island, 
beset  by  a  severe  storm  and  a  dark  night  on  a  lee  shore,  it 
seemed  as  if  the  air  was  full  of  strange  faces  with  wonderful 
eyes  standing  out  of  them,  and  it  so  continued  until 
daylight.  He  told  this  without  any  leading  to  such  things, 
or  without  having  ever  heard  what  I  myself  had  read 
concerning  them.  It  was  in  my  youth  that  I  had  read  of 
them,  in  a  little  book  called  De  Silver  Poort-Klock  (The 
Silver  Gate-bell).  This  island  lies  in  30°  32'  north  latitude, 
and  313°  40'  of  longitude;  but  nearly  a  degfee  further 
west  than  it  is  laid  down  on  the  charts,  as  the  mate  told  me 
he  had  observed.  It  is  a  small,  but  very  fertile  and  healthy 
island,  about  seven  hundred  and  sixty  miles  from  the  main 
land  of  America,  and  of  all  its  neighbors  bears  the  best 
cedar  now  to  be  obtained.  I  have  conversed  with  persons 
who  said  they  had  had,  at  the  same  time,  the  cedar  of 
10 


74 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


Lebanon  and  the  cedar  of  the  Bermudas,  and  they  could 
not  discover  any  difference  between  the  two,  and  the 
Bermuda  was  as  brown  and  strong  as  the  Lebanon.  This  is 
rendered  probable,  to  some  extent,  because  the  island, 
lying  in  the  middle  of  the  sea,  has  a  cooler  atmosphere. 
It  produces  plenty  of  oranges,  apples  and  lemons,  which 
the  English  who  live  there  carry  by  ship  loads  to  Virginia, 
New  Netherland  and  Xew  England,  where  they  do  not 
grow,  in  order  to  sell  them,  as  I  have  observed  myself  in 
Xew  Xetherland  ;  and  1  think  also  tobacco,  sugar,  indigo, 
ginger,  speckled  wood,  Campeachy  wood,  &c.  It  is  some- 
what rocky  around  it,  and  has,  on  the  north  and  west 
points,  great  reefs  which  extend  far  out  into  the  sea.  This 
island  we  were  now  passing,  at  a  distance  of  about  260  to 
280  miles  to  the  north  by  cast. 

2'/,  Saturday.  The  wind  had  been  increasing  through  the 
whole  night  from  the  S.  E.  In  the  morning  we  saw  some 
flocks  of  birds  flying  around  us,  a  kind  of  small  snipes  like 
those  of  Xew  Xetherland,  as  some  passengers  said,  who 
recognized  them.  We  could  obtain  no  observation  to-day 
in  consecpicnce  of  the  cloudy  sky.  While  going  ahead 
with  a  strong  S.  S.  E.  wind,  sailing  west,  we  had  heavy 
rolling  from  the  south.  AVe  reckoned  the  latitude  36°  30', 
the  distance  160  miles,  the  course  W.  by  S.,  and  the 
longitude  314°  20'.  In  the  afternoon  the  wind  blew  so  by 
degrees  from  the  S.  S.  W.  and  8.  W.,  that  we  had  before 
evening  taken  in  all  our  sails,  and  ran  along  without  any 
sails  at  all  at  the  rate  of  120  miles  in  twenty-four  hours, 
but  not  long.  It  was  such  frightful  weather  that  I  am 
unable  to  describe  it. 

The  heavens  were  entirely  shut  off,  and  not  the  least 
opening  was  to  be  seen.  The  wind  blew  so  hard  from  the 
S.  S.  W.  and  S.  W.,  that  it  was  incredible;  for  when  we 
stood  close  by  each  other  and  called  out  as  loud  as  we  were 
able,  we  could  scarcely  hear  or  understand  each  other. 


A  TERRIFIC  STORM. 


75 


The  billows  ran  as  high  as  mountains ;  yes,  as  mountains. 
They  were  extremely  large  and  majestic,  and  exhibited  the 
great  power  of  their  creator,  as  pleasing  as  they  were 
fearful  to  us  to  behold.  They  rolled  on  with  an  inexpres- 
sible order  and  gravity,  moving  slowly  and  loftily. 
They  were  dark  and  grey  in  color,  and  bore  upon  their 
round  backs  other  small  waves,  from  which  the  wind  drove 
off  into  the  air  so  much  water  incessantly,  that  it  flew  like 
smoke  or  snow  over  the  sea  without  the  least  diminution. 
This  flood  of  flying  sea  water  had  such  a  direction  over  the 
ship,  which  was  lying  across  the  sea,  that  we  could  not 
see  during  the  day  from  the  stern  to  the  bow ;  and  at  night 
we  could  not  see  the  least  thing  before  our  eyes.  Although 
these  large  billows  did  not  pour,  for  if  they  had  done  so 
we  could  not  have  withstood  them  a  quarter  of  the  time, 
yet  the  water  of  the  small  waves  had  such  a  passage  to  the 
ship  that  it  was  as  if  it  were  constantly  thrown  from 
above ;  and  it  came  with  such  force  and  in  such  quantity 
that  the  ship  could  not  discharge  it  through  the  scuppers, 
but  was  all  the  time  under  water.  "We  had  taken  down 
our  topmast  early,  and  struck  the  yards  and  secured  them 
against  dangling.  The  rudder,  which  was  held  by  two  or 
three  persons,  and  which  was  sometimes  turned  to  avoid 
the  falling  of  the  sea,  was  several  times  wrested  out  of  their 
hands,  and  those  who  had  hold  of  it  thrown  from  one  side 
to  the  other  upon  one  another,  in  great  danger  of  being 
injured  by  the  tiller  or  otherwise.  Several  times  they  came 
running  up  because  they  supposed  the  tiller  was  broken, 
although  it  was  made  entirely  of  iron.  The  compasses, 
which  were  wet  continually,  could  hold  no  point  in  conse- 
quence of  the  terrible  rolling  of  the  ship,  which  rolled  so 
awfully  that  the  yard  arm  seemed  every  time  to  touch  the 
great  billows  on  the  windward  side.  Every  thing  bent  and 
cracked  so  that  you  could  hear  nothing  else.  There  were 
no  means  of  going  about,  or  standing,  or  sitting,  or  lying 


76 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


down,  but  you  had  to  do  all  these  things  together,  as  well 
as  hanging  on,  in  order  to  keep  yourself  secure,  whether 
you  were  in  your  berth  or  out  of  it.  It  was  as  if  you  were 
in  the  sea,  except  that  the  water  came  falling  on  the  head, 
and  so  over  the  whole  body.  Mouth,  nose  and  eyes  were 
so  full  of  water  from  the  spray,  that  \ou  could  not  draw  a 
breath  or  see.  All  were  constantly  wiping  their  eyes  and 
blowing  their  noses,  like  boys  swimming.  Our  eyes 
suffered  the  most,  for  they  felt  as  if  they  were  frosted  with 
sand  or  water.  They  bound  a  flag  to  the  back  stay  or 
miz7,enmast,  before  their  eyes,  in  order  to  see  how  the 
wind  shot,  but  they  had  to  go  close  to  it  before  they  could 
see  it,  and  it  was  not  there  a  long  time  before  it  was  blown 
into  a  thousand  tatters.  Indeed,  I  cannot  describe  how 
wretched  it  was.  I  was  on  the  first  watch,  although  there 
was  not  much  watch  kept.  In  short,  the  sea  air  and  water 
were  so  mingled  together  you  could  scarcely  discern  where 
they  separated ;  and  so  it  was  day  and  night.  I  stood 
much  by  the  mate,  in  order  to  help  him  watch  the  pouring 
of  the  sea.  "We  imagined  several  times  we  saw  openings 
in  the  sky,  which  led  us  to  believe  there  would  be  a 
change,  but  they  were  merely  the  falling  of  the  sea,  so  high 
did  it  run  and  so  much  did  it  fill  the  air.  It  continued  so 
all  night,  and  even  seemed  to  increase.  My  watch  being  out, 
I  went  below  —  not  to  sleep,  for  there  was  no  probability 
of  that,  but  to  rest  myself  somewhere  on  a  chest,  wet  as  I 
was.  Even  that  was  not  to  be  done,  for  the  casks  and 
chests  were  all  loose  and  being  thrown  from  one  side  to  the 
other,  so  there  was  danger  of  being  injured.  As  there  was 
no  one  else  there  to  assist  in  making  them  fast,  Grerrit,  the 
passenger,  and  myself,  did  our  best  endeavors  to  do  so,  and 
after  much  scrambling  succeeded  in  putting  them  in  place 
a  little.  It  was  not,  however,  much  better  below  than 
above  deck,  for  all  the  hatches  being  shut  it  was  so  close 
and  confined  that  one  seemed  to  be  stifled  with  a  stinking, 


THE  STORM  INCREASES. 


77 


burning  air,  which,  if  it  had  continued  long,  would  have 
produced  sickness.  The  pumps  had  to  be  kept  going  all 
the  time,  for,  although  the  ship  was  tolerably  tight  below 
water,  she  was  very  leaky  above  ;  and  so  much  water  came 
down  the  hatchways,  although  they  were  covered  with 
tarpaulin,  that  it  was  the  same  as  if  water  were  poured 
down  on  our  heads.  To  put  on  dry  clothes  was  not  to  be 
thought  of,  as  it  was  equally  wet  below  and  above ;  and 
even  if  we  did  not  put  our  heads  out,  the  first  wave  which 
broke  over  the  ship  made  us  as  wet  as  before.  As  day 
approached  the  storm  rather  increased  than  diminished. 
Hearing  a  clamor,  I  went  on  deck  again,  in  order  to  see 
what  the  Lord  might  will  concerning  us,  and  arriving 
above  I  beheld  a  sad  prospect  indeed.  The  ship  looked  as 
desolate  as  if  she  had  already  suffered  shipwreck ;  the 
mainmast  swinging  to  and  fro,  the  shrouds  and  ropes 
attached  to  them  flying,  their  chains  and  chain  bolts  loose, 
the  pumps  choked  with  sand,  gravel  and  pebbles,  and  their 
spouts  broken.  The  carpenter  was  called,  in  order  to 
repair  the  pumps,  which  kept  him  constantly  at  work.  He 
cursed  and  swore  at  Margaret,  because  there  was  no  leather 
in  the  pump,  which  was  true,  for  there  had  been  only  a 
little  in  it,  or  the  leather  was  like  duck,  and  also  because 
there  were  no  more  spouts,  of  the  necessity  of  which  he 
had  warned  her  at  Amsterdam,  but  which  were  not  bought 
by  her  through  parsimony,  disregarding  what  the  carpenter 
told  her.  I  did  my  best  to  pacify  him.  He  was  a  wicked 
wretch,  and  unwilling  because  he  could  not  have  a 
moment's  rest.  He  had  afterwards  to  secure  the  mast, 
whereupon  he  raved  and  swore  anew  at  the  captain,  and 
declared  he  would  not  do  it  unless  they  first  threw  over- 
board the  jolly-boat,  which  was  over  his  tool-chest,  for  the 
captain  had  set  the  chest  in  the  boat,  and  had  placed  the 
jolly-boat  upside  down  over  the  boat,  so  that  the  chest 
could  not  be  got  at  as  easily  as  he  wished,  and  he  had,  on 


78 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


that  account,  grumbled  and  scolded  throughout  the  whole 
voyage.  The  captain  attempted  to  strike  him.  Tin;  sailors 
cursed  and  swore  at  each  other.  I  had  told  the  mate 
dining  the  night  that  this  drifting  across  seas  could  not 
continue  long  without  sail,  and  that  the  course  was  to  take 
below  all  that  was  on  deck,  or  we  would  be  turned  upside 
down,  or  stove  in,  by  a  single  wave.  Now  I  heard  that 
the  captain  and  mate  were  disagreed  on  this  point,  the  mate 
proposing  and  wishing  to  make  some  sail,  the  captain 
interposing  objections,  either  because  he  did  not  under- 
stand it,  or  because  he  was  afraid  of  the  sails.  Observing 
this,  and  knowing  our  danger,  my  heart  rose  to  God  that 
he  would  look  upon  us  in  our  condition,  and  be  merciful 
to  us  in  whatever  manner  he  might  be  pleased  to  treat  us, 
committing  ourselves  into  his  strong  and  gracious  keeping. 
This  was  while  the  captain  and  mate  were  standing 
together,  and  having  their  conversation.  I  made  bold  and 
went  up  to  them.  I  told  the  captain  that  sail  should  be 
made  aft,  if  it  were  not  more  than  a  hand's  breadth,  or  else, 
to  all  appearances,  it  would  not  continue  long  with  us;  that 
this  would  turn  the  ship  against  the  sea.  He  made  diffi- 
culty. I  said  they  could  try  it  with  a  bonnet,  stretching  it 
from  the  main  shrouds  to  the  niizzen  shrouds,  when  they 
would  see  it  would  help  them.  Meanwhile,  feeling  my 
heart  touched  and  tender,  I  went  below  to  tell  my  comrade 
our  condition.  I  embraced  him  and  committed  him,  and 
he  me,  to  our  beloved  Father,  in  case  there  might  be  no 
opportunity  afterwards  to  do  so,  if  he  were  pleased  further 
to  dispose  of  us.  He  dressed  himself  as  well  as  he  could, 
and  we  clambered  on  deck,  one  behind  the  other.  He  was 
astonished  at  seeing  us  in  such  a  state,  and  was  able  to  tell 
how  it  was,  although  ignorant  of  many  particulars.  He 
posted  himself  aft,  before  the  hut,  on  the  larboard  side,  to 
the  windward,  under  the  tent ;  but  he  had  not  stood  there 
long  before  a  sea  came   over  the  gunwale,  breaking 


THE  STORM  SUBSIDES. 


79 


everywhere,  and  streaming  over  him.  He  turned  his  back 
to  it,  and  said  he  never  felt  such  a  weight.  In  such  cases 
one  must  hold  himself  fast  where  he  is,  or  he  will  be 
washed  overboard.  In  the  meanwhile  they  were  busy  in 
doing  what  I  had  proposed,  and  succeeded,  with  great 
difficulty  and  danger,  in  fastening  the  bonnet  from  one  set 
of  shrouds  to  the  other.  As  soon  as  it  was  done  they 
found  relief  for  the  ship,  and  that  she  resisted  the  waves 
better ;  and  it  encouraged  them  immediately  to  see  if  they 
could  not  make  more  sail,  and  even  set  the  mizzen-sail. 
The  mizzen-yard  was  below  and  all  hands  were  called  to 
get  it  up.  They  fastened  the  sail  upon  the  stoot  garen,  which 
was  not  very  good;  and  therefore  before  it  was  hoisted 
half  way  up,  the  stoot  garen  broke  into  pieces,  and  the  sail 
was  blown  quickly  to  tatters,  which  was  not  to  be  wondered 
at,  for  the  sail  was  very  old.  This  was  dangerous  work 
for  the  poor  sailors,  who  were  dispersed  here  and  there, 
and  liable  to  be  struck  by  the  sail,  and  some  of  whom  were 
hanging  and  dangling  from  the  ropes  over  the  sea ;  but 
none  of  them  were  injured.  The  yard  arm  was  hauled 
down  again,  the  old  sail  taken  off,  and  a  new  mizzen-sail 
brought  out  set  upon  better  stoot  garen,  and  hoisted  as  it 
had  to  be.  They  immediately  found  it  to  be  a  great  help.  In 
the  mean  time,  I  went  to  my  comrade,  who  observing  me 
was  much  affected,  and  said  to  me,  le  Seigneur  s'elevera  et  nous 
sauvera.  Indeed,  the  weather  was  then  at  its  worst,  and 
continued  so  till  noon.  There  were  no  means  of  eating 
or  drinking  any  thing,  except  small  pieces  of  dry  bread, 
when  any  could  be  found  dry,  for  it  was  most  all  wet  which 
could  be  got  at ;  and  much  of  that  in  the  bread  room,  was 
wet  with  salt  water.  The  water,  which  was  to  be  had  was 
brackish.  We  had  great  alteration  either  from  working 
or  from  the  flying  salt  water  which  we  had  taken  in  through 
our  mouths  and  noses ;  and  it  was  necessary  for  us  to  take 
a  little  strong  drink.    In  the  afternoon  some  said  it  began 


80 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


to  moderate;  but  so  slowly  they  could  hardly  work.  They 
therefore  let  every  thing  be  as  it  was.  As  the  storm  had 
arisen  slowly,  so  it  subsided  even  more  slowly.  When  the 
weather  began  to  moderate  my  comrade  inquired  of  several 
persons  who  had  been  much  at  sea,  and  of  one  who  had 
made  three  voyages  to  the  East  Indies,  whether  they  had 
ever  experienced  such  weather,  and  they  said  they  had 
not.  Neither  had  L  There  are,  however,  always  some 
persons  very  haughty  as  to  what  happens  to  them,  and  so 
now,  there  were  one  or  two  who  said  they  had  seen  worse 
storms.  What  they  may  have  seen  I  do  not  know ;  but 
this  I  do  know,  that  this  one  was  something  extraordinary, 
according  to  all  that  I  had  ever  heard,  or  could  conclude 
from  other  sterns  of  which  I  had  heard  or  read.  It  is  not 
to  be  supposed  that  those  are  greater  in  which  many  ships 
are  lost,  for  that  happens  frequently  when  the  storms  are 
not  habSeo  severe ;  or  that  those  are  lighter  where  there 
are  none  lost,  as  in  this  case;  for  that  is  according  as  it 
pleases  the  Lord,  who  makes  it  light  or  heavy  for  the 
accomplishment  of  his  purposes.  '  I  remarked  this  storm, 
or  the  force  of  this  storm,  was  very  high  up  in  the  air, 
whereby  the  sea  was  driven  up  so  high,  and  so  slowly, 
and  so  easily,  that  is,  rolled  without  breaking  by  reason, 
perhaps,  of  the  great  depth  there. 

When  I  reflect  upon  what  the  Lord  thus  exhibited  to 
me,  what  power,  what  majesty,  what  gravity,  order  and 
regularity,  what  glory,  what  grandeur  and  extensiveness, 
how  many  of  his  attributes,  did  he  display,  such  as  when, 
by  his  infinite  power,  he  created  all  things.  So  much 
does  he  manifest  these  perfections  where  he  works,  and 
after  he  works,  which  is  only  a  continuation  of  his  power 
and  attributes  in  part,  as  he  has  shown  them  in  the  whole. 
But  especially  what  a  glorious  picture  did  he  vouchsafe  to 
represent  to  us,  over  a  small  part  of  the  earth,  of  what  he 
did  over  the  whole  earth,  at  the  time  of  the  deluge,  when 


CATCHING  DOLPHINS  AND  SHARKS. 


81 


he  swept  away  all  that  was  upon  it.  These  sentiments  I 
have  expressed  in  a  measure  before ;  and  perhaps  the  Lord 
will  cause  them  to  be  still  better  expressed,  for  he  permits 
such  things  to  come  before  us  in  order  that  we  may  see  as 
in  a  glass  who  he  is,  and  that  he  always  works  according 
to  what  he  is,  that  is,  all  his  works  are  worthy  of  him, 
especially  those  which  he  does  extraordinarily,  and  so  that 
we  can  apprehend  them.  It  is  certainly  to  his  greater 
glory,  and  for  the  purpose  of  teaching  us  to  know  who  he 
is,  and  who  we  are,  so  that  we  may  learn  to  fear  him,  and 
give  him  what  belongs  to  him.  Amen.  This  doleful 
Sunday  passed,  the  wind  gradually  abated;  and  so  we 
passed  the  night. 

4th,  Monday.  The  wind  having  subsided,  they  were  early 
on  hand  this  morning  to  repair  damages.  It  looked  wretch- 
edly enough.  The  topmast  was  raised,  the  yards  hoisted 
up  and  sail  made.  Every  one  looked  as  weather  beaten  as 
if  he  had  been  in  the  water,  as  indeed  was  the  fact.  The 
hatches  were  opened  through  which  an  air  and  dampness 
issued  as  from  an  oven ;  and  clothes  and  bedding  were 
brought  on  deck  to  be  dried  and  aired.  The  ship  was  so 
full  of  them  up  to  the  round  top  that  she  looked  strange 
from  the  outside.  They  lay  all  over  the  ship  as  thick  as  if 
it  had  been  the  North  Market  at  Amsterdam.  Every 
thing  had  become  Wet.  There  was  not  a  berth  which  had 
been  tight  or  free  from  water.  We  let  those  who  were 
most  in  a  hurry  go  ahead,  and  as  there  was  no  room  for  us 
we  took  the  next  day  to  ourselves.  The  ship  was  turned 
to  the  south,  for  the  wind  has  shifted  round  a  little  more 
westerly.  "We  obtained  an  observation  at  noon,  and  found 
the  latitude  was  37°.  We  reckoned  the  distance  we  had 
sailed  and  drifted  at  sixty  to  sixty-four  miles ;  the  course 
west  by  north;  and  the  longitude  313°  8'.  At  noon  we 
were  drifting  in  a  calm ;  the  fish  came  shooting  up  from 
below,  and  many  dolphins  were  near  the  ship.  Although 
11 


82 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


we  did  our  best  we  could  not  catch  any  of  thorn.  "We 
drifted  thus  the  whole  afternoon  and  night,  which  happened 
very  well,  as  it  afforded  every  one  on  board  an  opportunity 
to  rest,  for  all  were  tired  out,  and  we  particularly  so.  My 
eves  were  so  sore  that  I  could  hardly  open  them.  Whenever 
I  looked  at  a  candle,  many  rings,  colored  like  the  rainbow, 
appeared  around  the  flame.  All  my  limbs  seemed  as  if 
they  were  broken,  and  I  also  suffered  much  internally. 

5th,  Tuesday.  It  still  continued  calm.  We  caught  a 
dolphin  early  in  the  morning.  It  is  a  very  pretty  fish,  a 
species  of  round  fish,  but  flat  on  the  sides.  Its  color  is  a 
sky-blue  ground  with  a  golden  hue  over  it,  and  I  observed 
the  older  it  is  the  more  golden  it  is.  On  account  of  this 
golden  appearance,  I  believe  it  is  called  dorado  by  the 
Portuguese,  who  doubtless  were  the  first  to  eat  it,  when 
they  began  to  make  their  long  voyages.  On  the  blue  skin 
there  are  spots  of  a  darker  blue,  which  look  pretty,  and  are 
set  off  by  the  gold  color.  It  has  no  scales,  or  very  small 
ones;  its  fins  and -tail  are  very  bright,  and  exhibit  great 
brilliancy  when  it  is  swimming.  Its  flesh  is  good  but 
rather  dry,  as  is  the  case  generally  with  all  sea  fish.  The 
captain  had  this  one  prepared  and  dressed  with  sauce ;  it 
was  good  and  refreshed  and  strengthened  us  very  much; 
but  when  we  went  to  breakfast,  we  found  there  had 
happened  a  great  misfortune  to  our  mess.  All  our  butter 
had  been  lost  during  the  storm,  through  the  negligence  of 
the  person  having  it  in  charge.  The  latitude  at  noon  to-day 
was  36°  45',  the  distance  sailed  forty  miles;  the  course  W. 
by  K,  the  longitude  312°  20'.  Shortly  after  midday  we 
caught  a  shark  which  had  been  swimming  for  an  hour  along- 
side of  the  ship.  He  was  so  heavy  that  it  was  as  much  as  three 
of  us  could  do,  to  haul  him  on  deck.  When  we  got  him 
in  the  ship,  every  body  had  to  keep  out  of  his  way.  He 
tried  hard  to  bite,  for  which  purpose  there  were  three  rows 
of  teeth  in  his  mouth  close  to  each  other.    They  endeavored 


SCRAPING  THE  SHIP. 


83 


to  thrust  a  stick  of  wood  down  his  throat,  into  his  belly, 
in  order  to  prevent  his  biting;  but  he  struck  around  lustily 
whenever  they  came  near  him  for  that  purpose.    They  cut 
off  his  tail  with  an  ax,  thus  depriving  him  of  his  greatest 
power,  and  he  soon  bled  to  death.    They  then  opened  his 
head  and  took  the  brains  out,  which  were  as  white  as  snow ; 
these  are  esteemed  a  valuable  medicine  for  women  in 
childbirth ;  for  which  pm-pose  the  English  use  it  a  great 
deal.    They  also  skinned  him.    The  skin  when  dried  is 
used  to  smooth  and  polish  woodwork.    If  the  sailors  wish 
to  eat  the  flesh  they  cook  it  by  the  fire  as  ours  did ;  but 
this  desire  generally  passes  oft'  with  their  first  voyage,  for 
the  flesh  is  not  good  for  much.     It  is  like  that  of  the 
thorndike  or  scate,  but  hard,  and  of  a  strong  flavor.  There 
is  only  one  bone  in  the  body,  the  back-bone,  which  the 
sailors  cut  out  and  preserve  as  a  rarity,  and  make  buttons 
out  of  it  for  their  frocks  and  trowsers.   We  also  caught  several 
small  fish  of  different  kinds,  like  the  carp,  sole,  seableak 
and  others.    The  calm  continued  nearly  till  midnight, 
when  a  light  breeze  sprang  up  out  of  the  south,  and  we 
continued  sailing  west.    It  was  now  six  weeks  since  we 
left  England. 

Qth,  Wednesday.  The  wind,  and  our  course  remained  as 
before.  The  sailors  were  still  employed  in  repairing  the 
ship  and  rigging.  We  found  the  latitude  to-day  to  be  36° 
56';  the  computed  distance  sailed  forty-eight  miles;  the 
course  mostly  west,  and  the  obtained  longitude  311°  20'. 
We  caught  another  dolphin  which  happened  well  for  us. 
We  kept  our  course  as  before ;  and  at  night  the  wind  began 
to  freshen  up  a  little. 

7th,  Thursday.  The  wind  was  S.  S.  W. ;  the  course  W. 
N".  W.,  with  a  topsail  breeze,  fine  weather  and  smooth 
water.  The  sailors  commenced  scraping  the  outside  of 
the  ship,  in  order  to  dress  her  up  and  make  her  look  well 
by  the  time  we  arrived  in  port.   They  smeared  her  over  with 


84 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


a  mixture  of  grease  and  tar,  so  that  she  might  not  look 
brown ;  and  this  pride  and  man-pleasing  did  not  offend 
the  cmaker  spirit  Mr.  Jan  performed  a  Roman  feat  this 
morning,  catching  a  dolphin  with  his  hook,  which  he  had 
been  trying  to  do  for  three  weeks.  Another  was 
stuck  with  a  halberd.  The  latitude  was  37°  47',  the 
distance  sailed  we  estimated  at  eighty  miles,  the  course  held 
was  mostly  1ST.  W.,  the  longitude  309°  56'.  In  the  afternoon 
the  wind  shifted  to  W.  S.  W.  entirely,  and  we  could  only 
sail  N.  W.,  and  K  W.  by  N.  It  was  quite  calm  during 
the  night,  but  there  came  up  a  frightful  storm  of  thunder, 
lightning  and  rain ;  we  lay  almost  all  night  drifting  with 
muzzled  sails. 

Bth,  Friday.  It  continued  calm.  "We  employed  ourselves 
fishing,  as  there  were  daily  many  fish  round  the  ship,  and 
caught  a  few  small  ones.  The  sailors  finished  scraping 
the  ship.  We  could  get  no.  observation  of  the  sun  to-day; 
but  we  set  down  the  latitude  at  38°  8',  the  distance  run 
thirty-six  miles,  the  course  W.,  and  the  longitude  309° 
1G'.  Shortly  after  midday  the  wind  veered  round  during 
a  thunder  storm,  to  the  N.  E.,  and  gradually  increased  to 
blow.  We  changed  our  course  to  W.  by  N.,  and  by 
evening  were  compelled  to  take  in  sail.  We  saw  several 
pieces  of  stakes  drifting  along,  from  which  we  supposed 
we  were  appproaching  the  land.  Towards  evening  we 
threw  the  deep  lead,  in  order  to  see  if  we  could  find  bottom, 
but  we  did  not  succeed,  although  we  cast  120  fathoms ;  the 
lead  was  too  light  and  the  ship  drifted  too  much.  "We  sailed 
during  the  night,  W.  by  X.  and  west,  and  made  fair 
progress. 

9th,  Saturday.  It  did  not  blow  so  hard  during  the  night, 
and  by  daylight  the  wind  fell  off  still  more.  We  obtained 
the  latitude  at  noon,  namely,  38°  16' ;  the  course  was  a 
little  more  north  than  west,  the  distance  100  miles,  the 
longitude  307°  30'.    The  color  of  the  water  was  changed 


A  SHIP  FROM  VIRGINIA  SPOKEN. 


85 


to  a  paler  green.  I  saw  a  stick  of  dry  wood  drifting,  like 
a  piece  of  a  bough,  which  induced  all  of  us  to  believe  we 
were  near  land.  It  was  so  calm  in  the  night  that  our  ship 
boxed  the  compass.  We  had  not  seen  a  finer  sky  during 
the  whole  voyage,  so  clear  and  so  still. 

10th,  Sunday.  During  the  day-watch  a  breeze  sprung  out 
of  the  northeast.  We  kept  our  course  W.  and  W.  by  N"., 
but  the  wind  fell  off  before  noon,  and  we  drifted  in  a  calm. 
The  sea  began  to  be  a  little  covered  with  reeds  and  stubble, 
which  we  regarded  as  more  signs  of  land.  Numerous  dol- 
phins and  other  fish,  besides  small  sharks,  came  near  the  ship, 
but  we  could  catch  none  of  them.  "We  cast  the  deep  lead 
at  noon,  but  found  no  bottom.  We  had  38°  39'  of  latitude, 
the  progress  we  had  made  was  over  twenty  miles,  the 
longitude  was  307°  25',  and  our  course  had  been  W. 
We  all  longed  for  a  good  wind,  to  take  us  speedily  to  the 
end  of  our  voyage.    The  calm  continued  all  night. 

11th,  Monday.  A  breeze  began  to  blow  with  the  coming 
of  the  day.  We  caught  several  dolphins,  one  of  them  over 
five  feet  in  length.  About  ten  o'clock  we  saw  a  ship  to 
the  windward  or  larboard,  when  we  luffed  up,  and  she 
came  towards  us,  and  reached  us  about  12  o'clock.  We 
hauled  in  our  sails  to  wait  for  her.  She  showed  English 
colors,  and  we  did  the  same.  We  launched  the  jolly-boat, 
and  our  mate  went  on  board  of  her,  and  after  a  little  while 
returned,  bringing  her  captain  with  him.  She  was  an 
English  ship  from  Guinea,  and  last  from  Virginia,  which 
she  had  left  three  weeks  previously.  She  had  encountered 
many  storms  and  contrary  winds-  Many  of  her  crew  were 
sick,  and  Margaret  sold  the  captain  a  hogshead  of  ship's 
beer,  for  which  her  little  daughter1  was  honored  with  a 
good  lump  of  gold.    We  had  expected  some  refreshment, 


1  This  (laughter  was  Annetje,  or  Anneke  Filipse,  then  aged  nearly 
twelve  years ;  she  became  the  wife  of  Philip  French. 


8G 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


but  there  was  nothing  to  be  had  for  money,  though  some 
good  apples  were  presented  to  Margaret.    We  asked  him 
for  his  reckoning,  which  he  told  us  was  270  leagues  from 
Cape  Henry,  in  the  Virginias,  differing  considerably  from 
ours,  for  that  would  make  us  040  miles  from  New  York, 
whereas  my  reckoning  made  it  from  392  to  400  miles. 
However,  all  the  other  reckonings  were  different,  one 
more  and  another  less.     The  mate  was  nearest  his,  and 
the  captain  furthest  off,  as  the  mate  said.     This  English- 
man had  made  a  mistake,  as  we  afterwards  discovered. 
Each  one,  nevertheless,  kept  his  own  chart.     Our  captain 
went  on  board  the  other  vessel  to  see  whether  we  could  not 
obtain  some  vinegar,  of  which  we  were  in  want,  as  we  had 
none,  owing  to  the  terrible  parsimony  of  Margaret,  of 
which  I  will  speak  hereafter.     I  never  saw  so  many  dol- 
phins as  there  were  around  this  English  ship.    They  kept 
leaping  up  continually  against  her.    The  Englishman,  in 
parting  from  us,  about  four  o'clock,  in  order  to  show  his 
civility,  came  up  close  along  side  of  us,  whereby  many  of 
the  dolphins  playing  around  his  ship  came  to  ours,  and  we 
caught  some  of  them.    In  parting,  he  discharged  several 
musket  shots,  but  we  did  not  return  the  salute.     We  had 
a  small  breeze,  and  with  that  we  laid  our  course  to  the 
west.    Every  one  had  been  so  occupied  with  this  English- 
man that  no  one  had  taken  the  altitude  except  myself.  I 
found  the  latitude  39°  29',  the  distance  could  not  be  more 
than  sixteen  miles.     As  the  weather  was  so  calm,  and  we 
were  under  no  headway,  and  had  been  carried  almost  a 
whole  degree  to  the  north,  we  concluded  there  must 
be   a   very  strong  current  running  in  that  direction. 
Towards  evening  the  water  changed.     We  sailed  on 
several  courses  during  the  night,  and  afterwards  drifted 
a  little  ahead. 

12th,  Tuesday.  When  we  came  on  deck  we  observed  the 
water  had  changed  still  more,  and  was  very  green,  as  if 


ANOTHER  STORM. 


87 


from  the  bottom.  The  fish  had  all  disappeared,  which 
caused  us  to  think  we  were  certainly  on  soundings.  The 
deep  lead  was  thrown  about  noon,  but  they  went  at  it  in 
such  a  grumbling  and  growling  manner,  and  the  ship 
going  ahead,  that  nothing  resulted  from  it.  We  had  made 
only  twelve  or  sixteen  miles  sailing,  and  yet  we  were  again 
an  entire  degree  further  north,  for  on  taking  an  observation 
we  found  we  were  in  latitude  40°  25',  and,  in  point  of  fact, 
not  far  from  land.  The  longitude  obtained  was  306°  40'. 
All  this  made  us  think  of  what  the  Englishman  had  said 
yesterday,  but,  under  the  circumstances,  we  thought  we 
could  not  be  where  he  said  —  the  strong  current,  and  the 
chopping  of  the  sea,  and  its  color  —  which  made  us  con- 
sider whether  we  might  not  be  about  Cape  Cod  or  Sandy 
Hook,  as  my  bestek  stood  on  the  chart.  I  believed  we  were 
on  the  shoals  of  Cape  Cod,  fifty  or  sixty  miles  from  land,  as 
the  result  proved.  The  waves  beat  against  each  other  very 
much  from  the  northwest  and  south,  and  by  evening  the 
sky  became  overcast  on  all  sides.  We  were  apprehensive 
of  a  storm,  and  therefore  took  in  all  the  sails ;  but  it 
turned  into  a  very  heavy  rain,  without  much  wind,  which, 
however,  was  northeast,  and  we  had  necessarily  to  keep  off 
shore.  We  set  our  course  S.  W.,  and  S.  W.  by  S.  The 
wind  began  to  blow  towards  evening,  and  increased  in  the 
first  part  of  the  night.  It  rained  nearly  all  night,  which 
made  us  sail  close  and  go  ahead  bravely. 

13th,  Wednesday.  The  wind  and  our  course  remained  the 
same,  under  a  stiff  topsail  breeze  and  a  rolling  sea,  the  , 
color  of  which  was  changed  to  black.  As  soon  as  it  was 
day  we  put  on  all  sail  until  noon.  We  could  obtain  no 
latitude,  but  reckoned  we  were  in  38°  4',  the  progress 
upwards  of  an  hundred  miles,  the  course  S.  W.  by  S.,  and 
the  longitude  305°  30'.  We  hoped  this  wind  would  carry 
us  over.  It  was  blowing  E.  by  S.,  and  increased  so  that  we 
had  to  take  in  the  topsails.    It  turned  into  a  very  severe 


88 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


storm  in  the  night,  and  the  wind  gradually  veered  round 
to  the  west. 

14//*,  Thursday.  This  hard  storm  came  from  the-  S.  S.  W. 
"VVe  took  in  all  sail,  clewed  up  the  foresail,  lowered  the 
yards  with  great  difficulty,  struck  the  mainsail  and  reefed 
it,  so  that  we  were  prepared  to  lie  hy.  We  steered  S.  S.  E., 
hut  the  wind  from  the  S.  W.  was  exceedingly  heavy,  and 
although  the  sea  did  not  run  so  high  as  in  the  last  storm, 
it  was  more  driving,  and  short,  and  gave  very  severe 
blows.  The  large  bowline  broke  into  pieces,  and  we  had 
to  strike  the  mainsail  in  order  to  repair  it;  but  as  for 
getting  it  up  again  there  was  little  chance,  for  it  struck  so 
frightfully  in  hoisting  it  we  were  afraid  the  topsail  would 
fall,  or  the  nail  itself  fly  into  tatters.  We  had  no  oppor- 
tunity to  observe  the  latitude,  but  reckoned  it  to  be  38°  30'; 
our  progress  was  nothing,  or  12  or  16  miles  further  south, 
and  consequently  the  longitude  was  the  same  as  before. 
In  the  afternoon,  about  four  o'clock,  there  rose  a  very  heavy 
sea,  which  not  only  threw  itself  into  the  mainsail  but  over 
the  whole  deck,  so  that  the  ship  could  hardly  rise  again. 
"We  stretched  a  bonnet  again  from  the  main  shrouds  to  the 
mizzen  shrouds,  in  order  to  relieve  the  ship,  and  enable  her 
the  better  to  oppose  the  seas ;  but  about  seven  o'clock  in  the 
evening  there  came  a  sea  which  not  only  covered  the 
whole  ship  but  it  broke  with  such  force  it  seemed  as  if  the 
ship  would  go  to  the  bottom.  They  did  not  know  how  or 
whence  it  came,  nor  how  to  get  rid  of  the  water.  From 
this  time  the  weather  seemed  to  moderate  gradually,  the 
wind  blowing  from  the  west,  and  afterwards  K  K  W.,  and 
thus  the  storm  passed  off.  I  have  not  described  the  par- 
ticulars of  this  storm,  which,  although  it  was  not  so  severe 
as  the  other,  nevertheless  was  neither  better  nor  worse, 
because  the  other  storm  was  high  in  the  air  and  on  deep 
water,  for  which  reason  the  sea  ran  very  regularly  and 
slowly,  but  here  the  sea  ran  short  and  confusedly,  hard  and 


DAMAGE  BY  THE  STORM. 


89 


pushing.  All  the  power  of  this  storm  was  below,  upon 
the  water,  which  was  not  so  deep.  The  sky  over  head  was 
clear,  and  was  never  obscured,  during  this  storm,  except 
towards  the  horizon,  where  it  was  like  flying  mist.  The 
ship  suffered  more  than  she  did  before,  the  mast  became 
loose  again,  the  rigging  broken  in  pieces,  the  vanes  flown 
away,  and  every  thing  stripped. 

15//;,  Friday.  The  wind  which  was  N".  W.,  and  N".  W.  by 
'N.,  having  subsided,  the  hatches  were  opened,  the  sails 
spread,  and  every  thing  repaired  and  put  in  order.  It  was 
cpiite  calm,  and  we  sailed  S.  "W.,  and  afterwards  W.  S.  W. 
The  carpenter  having  to  go  behind  the  stern  of  the  ship 
for  the  purpose  of  opening  the  window  of  the  cabin,  dis- 
covered that  the  sternpost  was  split  from  top  to  bottom,  so 
that  it  hung  and  swung  by  the  planks  of  the  ship,  and 
when  she  was  moved  by  the  waves,  you  could  thrust  your 
whole  hand  in,  on  either  side,  and  that  whether  the  rudder 
or  the  ship  was  moved  by  the  sea.  He  then  went  into 
the  hold,  and  found  the  deck  was  rent  or  burst  its  whole 
length  and  drawn  off  from  the  sides,  although  the  ship  had 
been  repaired  the  last  time  she  was  in  Holland.  Prom 
this  circumstance  it  can  be  judged  whether  the  last  storm 
was  not  as  severe  as  the  first.  TVhen  the  carpenter 
communicated  to  the  captain  the  condition  of  the  stern- 
post,  the  latter  gave  a  grim  laugh  and  shook  his  head,  as 
if  it  were  of  no  importance ;  but  afterwards,  when  he  went 
himself  to  see  it,  he  quickly  changed  his  opinion.  It  was 
found  to  be  a  matter  of  serious  consideration.  Those 
whose  business  it  was,  were  called  together  to  devise  means 
how  it  might  be  repaired  and  made  fast  at  once  ;  which  it 
was  determined  should  be  done.  The  day  was  occupied  in 
restoring  lesser  articles,  every  one  drying  his  little  goods 
and  drawing  his  breath.  Dolphins  came  around  the  ship, 
some  of  which  we  had  hold  of,  but  they  escaped  from  us. 
We  saw  a  vessel  ahead  of  us  on  the  larboard,  but  we  did  not 
12 


90 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


go  towards  her.  Our  latitude  at  noon  was  37°  30'.  We 
could  not  calculate  our  progress.  We  had  first  drifted  N. 
W.,  and  then  as  much  K  E.,  and  afterwards,  by  the 
stiffening  of  the  wind,  south,  so  that  we  remained  in  about 
the  same  longitude.  In  other  particulars  this  storm  did 
not  differ  from  the  other.  At  midnight  we  had  a  slight 
breeze  and  made  sail  again,  with  clear  moonshine  and  fine 
weather. 

Wk,  Saturday.  The  wind  gradually  .shifting  to  the  south 
and  increasing,  we  went  finely  ahead.  As  soon  as  it  was 
day,  all  hands  began  to  work  in  good  earnest  at  the  broken 
sternpost,  which  was  found  to  be  much  worse  than  was 
supposed  yesterday.  They  worked  the  more  earnestly 
because  it  would  not  have  stood  long.  They  put  a  large 
iron  ringbolt  on  one  side  of  the  stern  and  a  broad  iron  hook 
on  the  other.  A  good  thick  rope  was  then  made  fast  to  the 
ring  or  the  hook,  and  a  small  part  of  the  sternpost  cut 
away  for  the  rope,  and  the  rope  was  thus  passed  behind 
the  sternpost  and  taken  to  the  capstan.  It  was  wound 
round  as  often  as  it  would  conveniently  go  through  the  two 
rings,  and  then  each  of  the  coils  was  spiked  upon  the 
sternpost,  and  thus  the  sternpost  was  brought  close  to  the 
planking.  Two  pieces  of  timber  were  afterwards  let  into  it 
and  well  spiked  at  each  end,  and  this  it  was  believed  would 
hold.  In  the  meanwhile  the  wind  began  to  blow  again 
from  the  southwest  with  a  cloudy  sky,  and  we  could  not 
obtain  the  altitude,  but  we  reckoned  it  the  same  as  before. 
The  course  was  west,  the  distance  sailed  eighty-eight  miles, 
and  therefore  the  longitude  had  changed  1°  28'.  We 
hoped  this  wind  would  have  brought  us  upon  the  coast,  but 
in  the  afternoon  it  increased  so  much,  that  we  had  scarcely 
finished  the  sternpost  and  made  fast  the  iron  rudder  pin, 
which  had  become  loose  from  the  beating  of  the  sea,  when 
we  thought  the  storm  was  again  upon  us,  from  the  indications 
of  the  sky  and  the  wind.    Every  thing  was  accordingly 


SIGNS  OF  LAND. 


91 


again  put  in  order  and  made  fast,  the  top  gallant  mast  was 
taken  down  in  order  to  prevent  the  swinging  of  the  mast, 
as  it  was  loose  before ;  and  the  topsails  were  reefed,  and 
afterwards  taken  in,  for  the  reason  that  we  observed  in 
the  1ST.  W.  a  very  black  cloud  rising  against  the  wind, 
accompanied  with  thunder  and  lightning.  The  nearer  this 
cloud  came  up  the  more  it  swelled.  It  struck  us  amid- 
ships, whereby  the  water  chopped  and  rose  very  high. 
"We  took  all  sail  in  and  struck  the  yards.  A  very  heavy 
rain  followed,  some  of  which  I  caught,  and  for  once  refreshed 
myself  by  drinking  my  full;  and  others  followed  my 
example ;  for  we  had  not  much  beer,  and  our  water  either 
stunk  or  was  brackish,  such  of  it  as  was  on  deck  and  the 
sea  had  beaten  upon.  It  cleared  up  considerably,  however, 
and  the  moon  shone;  but  the  weather  nevertheless  continued 
uncertain,  mingled  with  lightning.  A  breeze  springing 
up  from  the  the  east  about  nine  o'clock,  all  hands  set  to 
work  to  increase  our  sails  and  set  them  before  the  wind. 
At  midnight  they  were  all  taken  in  again,  as  the  sky 
became  overcast,  and  there  was  much  thunder  and  lightning 
with  rain,  which  continued  till  day-light. 

17th,  Sunday.  About  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the 
wind  having  changed  to  the  S.  W.  and  W.,  we  again  made 
sail,  and  the  wind  then  turning  further  to  the  north,  we 
changed  our  course  again.  We  came  among  many  small 
fish  called  springers,  because  they  spring  out  of  the  water. 
They  were  about  the  size  of  whiting,  but  we  could  not 
catch  any  of  them.  I  saw  a  sea  hedge-hog  as  large  as  the 
fist,  with  prickles  on  its  body  in  proportion.  It  was 
speckled,  and  provided  with  four  paws,  by  means  of  which 
it  swam  like  a  rat.  Its  head  was  small,  and  its  body 
round,  but  flat  underneath,  like  a  St.  James's  shell.  The 
latitude  to-day  was  39°  16',  the  westing  about  24  miles  and 
northing  20  to  24.  About  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  the 
wind  shifted  more  to  the  north,  and  we  could  only  sail 


!»_' 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YOKE. 


N.  N.  E.,  so  we  lay  over  and  sailed  8.  W.  The  wind 
veering  still  more  to  the  north,  we  steered  gradually  more 
to  the  west,  under  reefed  topsails.  We  observed  in  the 
evening  again  that  the  water  was  green,  a  sign  we  were 
near  the  shore. 

18///,  Mmuhiif.  The  sea  having  became  somewhat 
smoother,  and  the  wind  coining  from  the  X.  and  X.  X.  K. 
over  the  land,  we  sailed  due  west.  The  sea  was  more  blue, 
indicating  it  was  deeper  water,  and  that  we  had  sailed 
during  the  night  away  from  the  land.  At  eleven  o'clock 
it  became  green  again,  which  made  us  think  we  were 
approaching  the  other  shore  on  the  west,  or  that  we  were 
sailing  over  a  shoal.  We  observed  a  blue  dove  flying, 
which  was  regarded  by  all  as  a  sign  of  our  approaching 
land,  and  reminded  us  of  the  dove  coming  back  to  the  ark 
of  Noah,  as  a  messenger  of  the  drying  up  of  the  earth,  and 
soon  to  go  out  of  the  ark  in  the  liberty  of  God's  favor  and 
peace  ;  and  thus  we  were  coming  near  the  land,  and  would 
soon  go  out  of  our  prison,  where  we  had  by  his  will  been 
so  long  shut  up  with  so  many  unclean  beasts,  going  out  in 
his  favor  and  peace,  wherever  he  should  carry  us,  and 
making  an  offering  of  ourselves  to  his  service.  The 
latitude  at  noon  was  39°  24',  the  distance  made  good  sixty 
miles,  the  course  held  W.  by  N.,  and  the  longitude  was 
304°  4'.  The  weather  was  fine,  and  the  sea  rolled  no 
more.  The  lead  was  thrown  in  the  evening,  but  it  did 
not  reach  the  bottom.  The  wind  continued  the  same  all 
night.  We  threw  the  line  again  at  midnight,  but  without 
success. 

19th,  Tuesday.  The  wind  was  still  X.  E.  and  E.  K  E., 
and  we  held  on  our  west  course  with  tolerable  progress. 
The  sea  was  now  a  paler  green.  The  latitude  was  39°  6', 
and  we  had  advanced,  according  to  our  calculation,  upwards 
of  one  hundred  miles,  on  a  course  a  little  south  of  west. 
The  longitude  was  303°  30'.    Some  were  several  days  out 


BOTTOM  FOUND. 


93 


of  their  reckoning,  and  I  would  have  been  also  if  I  had 
not  discovered  the  mistake  and  rectified  it.  The  lead 
thrown  towards  evening  did  not  yet  show  any  bottom,  as 
they  said,  though  it  was  doubtful.  We  sailed  all  night 
with  a  light  breeze  and  a  clear  moonshine,  which,  indeed, 
was  another  mark  of  God's  favor  and  preserving  care 
towards  us,  that  we  should  fall  upon  the  coast  with  a  full 
moon,  and  not  when  there  was  no  moon.  Certainly  he 
watches  over  us  in  our  sleep,  and  nothing  can  happen 
otherwise  than  according  to  his  providence. 

20th,  Wednesday.  The  wind  continued  easterly,  and  our 
course  westerly.  We  saw  again  several  signs  of  being 
near  land,  such  as  different  kinds  of  snipe  and  other  small 
birds;  also  stubble;  sea  weed ;  little  red  strings,  like  coral, 
a  sea  plant  which  grows  on  the  coast ;  rock  weed,  and  other 
weeds  floating  on  the  water.  About  ten  o'clock  a  cloud  of 
mist  came  in  from  the  1ST.  W.,  which  demonstrated  pretty 
well  to  my  mind  Long  Island  and  the  part  of  the  mainland 
south  of  the  bay  towards  the  South  river.  I  thought 
whether  it  might  not  be  the  dew  drawn  up  by  the  sun 
from  the  land  there,  and  driven  over  our  heads  by  the 
wind.  The  wind  changed  to  the  north,  but  when  these 
clouds  had  passed  by  us,  it  shifted  again  to  the  east.  We 
had  had  for  a  day  or  two  warmer  weather.  The  air  from 
the  land  smelt  entirely  different,  sweet  and  fresh,  and  not 
so  saltish  as  the  sea  air.  We  set  our  course  W.  by  N". 
The  water  changed  from  a  dark  green  to  a  lighter,  which 
gave  us  all  no  bad  spirits.  Others  with  myself  were  con- 
stantly on  the  lookout  for  land,  but  we  discovered  none. 
The  latitude  we  obtained  to-day  was  39°.  We  had  gone 
a  little  south,  to  about  the  latitude  of  the  South  river,  and 
should  be  opposite  its  north  cape.  We  reckoned  the  dis- 
tance sailed  to  be  from  92  to  96  miles.  As  our  heaviest  deep 
lead  was  too  light,  and  we  could  not  keep  the  vessel  still, 
she  either  sailing  too  rapidly  or  drifting  too  much,  and  as 


94 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


the  weather  was  favorahle,  we  resolved  to  launch  the  jolly- 
hoat  in  order  to  take  soundings.  The  tub  with  the  lead 
and  line  were  nut  on  board,  and  the  mate  and  boatswain 
went  off  in  her,  although,  in  fact,  the  jolly-boat  remained 
quiet  on  the  water,  and  did  not  drift  off  far.  They  rowed 
off  a  piece,  and  let  the  line  run  out,  when  they  soon  cried 
out  "  bottom,  bottom."  It  must  not  be  asked  whether  this 
did  not  send  a  thrill  of  joy  through  the  ship,  where  every 
one  jumped  up  and  clapped  his  hands,  w  hich  was  answered 
from  the  jolly-boat  like  an  echo.  On  being  asked,  how 
deep  it  was,  they  said  about  34  fathoms,  at  which  we  were 
rejoiced,  and,  at  the  same  time,  surprised  that  we  had  not 
found  bottom  before,  as  wre  were  certainly  near  enough. 
The  jolly-boat  was  hoisted  on  board  again,  and  the  lead, 
which  had  been  greased  over  so  that  it  might  take  an 
impression  of  the  bottom,  was  examined  by  every  one. 
We  observed  upon  it  a  mixture  of  pebbles  and  shells,  all 
grown  over  with  green,  of  the  same  color  as  the  sea.  This 
occurred  about  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  Our  course 
was  then  directed  as  much  as  possible  to  the  north.  We 
sailed  X.  by  E.  and  X.  X.  K.  Two  hours  afterwards  we 
threw  the  lead  again,  and  had  25  fathoms.  At  sunset  we 
thought  we  saw  land,  and  although  others  thought  dif- 
ferently, I  cannot  rid  myself  of  the  idea  that  it  was  land. 
I  looked  at  it  long  enough,  and  perceived  no  motion,  as 
would  have  taken  place  if  it  were  clouds.  From  the 
soundings  I  supposed  we  were  near  the  north  cape  of  the 
South  river,  and  I  also  thought  I  saw  a  clove  or  double  hill, 
as  laid  down  at  that  point  on  the  chart,  a  little  south  of 
west  of  us.  The  chart  indicates  a  row  of  hills  there.  It 
was  nevertheless  contradicted.  In  the  mean  time  our  hearts 
ascended  with  thankfulness  to  God,  adoring  and  admiring 
his  goodness  and  fatherly  guidance.  The  weather  was  fine, 
and  the  moon  clear.  Xot  the  smallest  cloud  obscured  the 
sky,  and  the  sea  was  as  smooth  as  if  it  were  a  river.  God's 


HIGHLANDS  OF  NEVESINK. 


95 


blessing  was  so  visibly  over  us,  tbat  tbe  most  brutal  were 
touched  after  their  own  way.  Oh !  those  wretched,  wicked, 
yea,  truly  wicked  people. 

21st,  Thursday.  The  hatches  of  the  hold  were  all  opened 
yesterday  evening,  and  we  began  to  make  tbe  cables  fast 
to  tbe  anchors,  which  we  finished  this  morning.  As 
soon  as  the  sun  rose,  every  one  climbed  aloft  in  order  to 
look  for  land  and  some  of  them  immediately  cried  out 
"land,"  but  they  soon  discovered  they  were  mistaken. 
Our  course  was  north,  with  the  wind  E.  N.  E.  I  said  the 
land  we  would  see  was  in  front  of  us,  and  we  could  not  see 
it  yet  because  it  was  in  latitude  40°  20',  and  we  bad  39°, 
a  difference  of  eighty  miles,  and  as  we  had  sailed  only  from 
twenty-four  to  twenty-eight  miles  at  the  most  during  the 
night,  we  were  still  fifty-two  to  fifty-six  miles  off,  and  if  we 
continued  to  sail  as  we  were  doing,  it  would  be  noon  or 
two  o'clock  before  we  would  see  it.  I  must  say  a  word 
here  in  relation  to  our  cat;  how  she  was  always  sick  and 
lame  for  some  days  before  a  storm,  and  could  not  walk, 
and  wben  the  storm  was  over,  was  lively  and  nimble  again. 
She  had  now  been  very  playful  for  several  days,  running 
here  and  tbere  over  tbe  ship,  but  tbis  morning  she  was 
unusually  gay.  She  came  running  witb  a  spring,  leaping 
into  the  rigging  and  going  far  aloft,  turning  her  bead  about 
and  snuffing  the  land,  as  much  as  to  say,  tbere  is  the  land 
you  should  look  out  for ;  and  causing  great  laughter  among 
the  folks,  who  said  tbe  cat  was  on  the  lookout  for  land. 
When  she  came  down  sbe  mewed.  But  a  tbick  fog 
coming  from  tbe  land,  cut  off  all  view  and  hopes  of  going 
inside,  as  we  turned  at  once  from  the  sbore.  I  obtained, 
however,  the  altitude,  to  wit:  40°  5'.  The  distance  was 
reckoned  to  be  sixty-four  miles.  In  tbe  mean  time  tbe  deep 
lead  was  thrown  many  times,  and  22,  21,  19,  17,  16,  14 
fathoms  of  water  found,  at  one  time  more  and  at  another 
less,  for  the  bottom  is  uneven.    "We  did  this  in  order  not 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YOKE. 


to  run  ashore  during  the  fog.  It,  however,  cleared  away,  and 
we  wore  over  again,  and  immediately  saw  the  land  distinctly, 
which  caused  new  rejoicing.  W'  perceived  clearly  that 
we  had  heen  sailing,  since  yesterday,  along  the  shore, 
although  it  was  too  far  off  to  be  seen.  Een.iseher'fi  Hook,1 
which  adjoins  Sandy  Hook,  was  in  front  or  north  of  us ; 
and  we  had  sailed  N.  N.  E.  and  K  by  E.  It  was  about 
one  o'clock  when  we  first  saw  the  land.  It  is  not  very  high, 
but  like  a  dome,  only  it  is  a  little  higher.  Long  Island 
is  not  very  high;  Rensselaer's  Hook,  which  is  the  most 
westerly  point  of  the  bay,  is  the  highest  of  all.  Sandy 
Hook  is  low,  and  stretches  out  about  three  miles  eastwardly 
from  Rensselaer's  Hook,  and  makes  the  channel.  You 
must  be  close  on  Sandy  Hook  before  you  can  see  Long 
Island.  We  intended  to  run  in,  but  could  not  well  do  so 
this  evening,  in  consequence  of  the  mist  continually 
intercepting  the  sight  of  the  land.  As  the  weather  was 
calm,  and  the  sea  smooth,  we  came  to  anchor,  in  thirteen 
fathoms  of  water,  and  lay  there  quietly  all  night. 

22'/,  Friday.  When  the  day  began  to  break,  they  were 
all  in  an  uproar ;  but  the  weather  continued  misty,  with 
a  northeast  wind,  for  which  reason  we  judged  we  could 
not  make  the  channel.  All  those  who  were  so  joyful  and 
merry  yesterday,  were  now  more  sober,  as  we  were 
compelled  to  keep  off  land,  so  as  not  to  be  caught  on  a 
lee  shore,  from  which  it  is  very  difficult  to  get  away.  The 
fog  cleared  up  a  little  about  ten  o'clock,  and  we  sailed 
again  towards  the  shore,  when  we  perceived  we  were 
approaching  the  west  side.  It  rained  a  part  of  the  time, 
and  was  misty,  so  that  sometimes  we  could  only  see  the 
land  dimly,  and  for  a  moment,  and  Sandy  Hook  hardly  at 
all.  We  durst  not  yet  venture  to  run  in,  and  wore  off 
ao-ain.    About  noon  we  saw  a  ketch  to  the  sea-ward  of 


1  Nevesink. 


SANDY  HOOK.    THE  NARROWS.  97 

us,  but  we  did  not  speak  to  her.    She  was  laying  her 
course  to  the  west.    This  coast  surely  is  not  very  easy  to 
enter,  especially  in  the  autumn.    Our  captain  had  trouble 
enough,  though  our  mate  did  not  agree  with  him.  Sailing 
onward,  we  had  13,  14,  15,  16  fathoms  of  water,  hut 
very  uneven  bottom  as  we  approached  the  shore.  We 
laid  our  course  IS.  1ST.  E.  and       E.  by  ~N.  and  from  the 
shore,  S.  S.  W.  and  S.    At  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
we  determined  to  run  in,  if  it  were  possible.    We  could 
see  the  land  a  little  better,  and  also  Rensselaer's  Hook. 
Everybody,  therefore,  was  very  industrious,  some  in  look- 
ing after  the  sails,  ropes  and  tackle,  so  as  to  be  able  to 
turn  and  tack  ship  quickly ;  others  were  constantly  on  the 
lookout  for  land  and  especially  to  discover  Sandy  Hook, 
in  order  to  secure  the  best  channel  which  is  next  to  that 
point ;  for  not  far  from  it,  on  the  other  side,  are  the  east 
banks,  which  are  very  dangerous.    We  did  our  best,  first 
in  a  calm,  then  with  a  little  breeze,  to  enter.    We  caught 
sight  of  Sandy  Hook  at  last,  but  it  was  soon  hid  by  the  fog. 
We  observed  how  the  land  lay  by  the  compass,  and  so 
sailed  accordingly,  expecting  a  good  flood  tide  which  would 
begin  to  make  at  six  o'clock.    The  deep  lead  was  thrown 
constantly,  and  we  found  five  and  foiir  fathoms  in  the 
shallowest  places,  near  the  channel.    It  was  low  water,  and 
the  wind  was  N.  E.  and  E.  ~N.  E.,  which  took  us  soon 
inside,  short  around  the  point  of  Sandy  Hook,  into  the 
bay  towards  the  highlands  of  Rensselaer's  Hook.  Upon 
passing  the  Hook  which  was  now  west  of  us,  we  found 
deeper  water  5,  6,  7  and  8  fathoms,  and  ran,  as  I  have  said, 
immediately  for  the  highlands,  and  came  to  anchor  in 
ten  fathoms  of  water,  praising   the  Lord  again,  and 
thankful  for  the  many  instances  of  his  goodness  towards 
us.    This  is  a  very  fine  bay,  where  many  ships  can  lie, 
protected  from  all  winds,  except  the  S.  E.,  which,  however, 
cannot  do  much  damage,  because  the  east  banks  lie  before 
13 


08 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


it;  and  at  the  worst,  the  ship  can  only  be  driven  in  the 
wind.  They  determined  this  evening,  to  go  np  early  in  the 
morning,  in  the  jolly-boat,  to  Staten  Island  or  Long  Island, 
for  a  pilot 

20'/,  Suliinl'iij.  It  rained  the  whole  night  Our  ship  lay 
as  rpiiet  as  if  she  were  made  fast  to  the  piles  at  Amsterdam, 
which  was  very  nnusual  for  us.  The  wind  being  west  in 
the  morning,  they  changed  their  resolution  of  going  up 
for  a  pilot,  and  as  the  wind  was  so  favorable  determined  to 
take  her  up  themselves.  The  anchor  was  therefore  raised, 
and  we  sailed  on,  for  the  purpose  of  passing  between  Staten 
Island  and  Long  Island,  where  there  are  two  high  points 
of  land,  for  that  reason  called  the  Iloofden  (headlands).1 
AVe  turned  gradually  from  Sandy  Hook  to  the  right,  in 
order  to  avoid  the  shoals  of  the  east  bank,  and  so  sailed  to 
the  Iloofden.  We  had  a  good  flood  tide,  and  four  to  five 
fathoms  of  water  at  the  shoalcst  part;  but  the  wind  shifted 
again  to  the  north,  and  we  were  compelled  to  tack,  which 
rendered  our  progress  slow,  for  it  was  quite  calm.  Coming 
to  the  Iloofden,  and  between  them,  you  have  10,  11,  and 
12  fathoms  of  water.  As  soon  as  you  begin  to  approach 
the  land,  you  see  not  only  woods,  hills,  dales,  green  fields 
and  plantations,  but  also  the  houses  and  dwellings  of  the 
inhabitants,  which  afford  a  cheerful  and  sweet  prospect 
after  having  been  so  long  upon  the  sea.  When  we  came 
between  the  Iloofden,  we  saw  some  Indians  on  the  beach 
with  a  canoe,  and  others  coming  down  the  hill.  As  we 
tacked  about  we  came  close  to  this  shore,  and  called  out  to 
them  to  come  on  board  the  ship,  for  some  of  the  passen- 
gers intended  to  go  ashore  with  them;  but  the  captain 
would  not  permit  it,  as  he  wished,  he  said,  to  carry  them, 


'  The  name  of  "De  Hoofden"  was  derived  as  the  journalist  subsequently 
informs  us  from  the  resemblance  of  the  shores  to  the  Iloofden  or  head- 
lands of  Dover  and  Calais. 


FIRST  VIEW  OF  THE  INDIANS. 


99 


according  to  his  contract,  to  the  Mamthans,  though  we 
understood  well  why  it  was.  The  Indians  came  on  hoard, 
and  we  looked  upon  them  with  wonder.  They  are  dull  of 
comprehension,  slow  of  speech,  hashful  hut  otherwise  hold 
of  person,  and  red  of  skin.  They  wear  something  in  front, 
over  the  thighs,  and  a  piece  of  duffels,  like  a  blanket, 
around  the  body,  and  this  is  all  the  clothing  they  have. 
Their  hair  hangs  down  from  their  heads  in  strings,  well 
smeared  with  fat,  and  sometimes  with  quantities  of  little 
heads  twisted  in  it  out  of  pride.  They  have  thick  lips  and 
thick  noses,  but  not  fallen  in  like  the  negroes,  heavy 
eyebrows  or  eyelids,  brown  or  black  eyes,  thick  tongues, 
and  all  of  them  black  hair.  But  we  will  speak  of  these 
things  more  particularly  hereafter.  After  tbey  had  obtained 
some  biscuit,  and  had  amused  themselves  a  little,  climbing 
and  looking  here  and  there,  they  also  received  some  brandy 
to  taste,  of  which  they  drank  excessively,  and  threw  it  up 
again.  They  then  went  ashore  in  their  canoe,  and  we 
having  a  better  breeze,  sailed  ahead  handsomely.  As  soon 
as  you  are  through  the  Hoofden,  you  begin  to  see  the  city, 
which  presents  a  pretty  sight.  The  fort,  which  lies  upon 
the  point  between  two  rivers,  is  somewhat  higher ;  and  as 
soon  as  they  see  a  ship  coming  up,  they  raise  a  flag  on  a 
high  flag-staff,  according  to  the  colors  of  the  sovereign  to 
whom  they  are  subject,  as  accordingly  they  now  flew  the  flag 
of  the  king  of  England.  "W"e  came  up  to  the  city  about 
three  o'clock,  where  our  ship  was  quickly  overrun  with 
people  who  came  from  the  shore  in  all  sorts  of  craft,  each 
one  inquiring  and  searching  after  his  own,  and  his  own 
profit.  No  custom-house  officers  came  on  board,  as  in 
England,  and  the  ship  was  all  the  time  free  of  such  persons. 
"We  came  to  anchor,  then,  before  the  city  at  three  o'clock. 
Every  one  wanted  to  go  ashore  immediately.  We  let 
those  most  in  a  hurry  go  before  us,  when,  leaving  our 
property  in  charge  of  Robyn,  we  also  went  in  company 


100 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


with  a  passenger,  named  Gerrit;  who  took  us  to  the  house 
of  his  father-in-law,  where  we  lodged. 

It  is  not  possible  to  describe  how  this  bay  swarms  with 
fish,  both  large  and  small,  whales,  tunnies  and  porpoises, 
whole  schools  of  innumerable  other  fisb,  and  a  sort  like 
herring,  called  there  marsbanckers,  and  otber  kinds,  which 
the  eagles  and  other  birds  of  prey  swiftly  seize  in  their 
talons  when  the  fish  come  up  to  the  surface,  and  hauling 
them  out  of  the  water,  fly  with  them  to  the  nearest  woods 
or  beach,  as  we  saw. 

"We  had  finally  arrived  where  we  had  so  long  wished  to 
be,  but  from  whence  we  were  soon  to  depart,  because  we 
had  come  only  to  do  the  will  of  him  who  watches  over  us, 
and  who  alter  our  longest  voyage,  will  cause  us  to  arrive, 
by  his  favor,  as  it  pleases  him.  Meanwhile  unto  him  be 
given  all  honor,  and  praise  and  glory  for  what  he  does,  to 
all  eternity.    Amen;  yea,  amen. 

Leaving  the  ship  on  our  arrival,  it  would  seem  proper 
that  this  narrative  concerning  the  voyage  should  here  be 
brought  to  an  end ;  but  as  the  sea  over  which  we  passed  is 
wide  and  broad,  and  various  things  are  to  be  noted,  which 
could  only  be  found  out  in  process  of  time,  I  will  here  add 
them  each  by  its  kind. 


Observations  upon  the  Sea  and  the  Voyage. 

1.  I  have  uniformly  found  it  true,  that  the  bottom 
causes  the  change  in  the  color  of  the  sea,  and  makes  the 
color  lighter  or  darker  according  as  it  may  happen  to  be  ; 
as  we  experienced  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  our 
voyage.  And  this  is  the  reason;  the  water  of  itself  has  no 
color,  but,  as  it  is  transparent,  the  bottom  shows  itself,  such 
as  it  is,  through  the  clearness  of  the  water,  according  to 


SAILING  OBSERVATIONS. 


101 


its  depth;  but  something  must  be  allowed  for  the  sky, 
clouds  and  other  bodies  in  the  atmosphere,  which,  although 
they  do  not  change  the  water,  nevertheless  shine  in  it,  and 
tli  row  a  shadow  or  reflection. 

2.  The  banks  or  shoals  of  Newfoundland  extend  further 
south  than  they  are  laid  down  on  the  charts,  and  as  far  as 
36°  or  less  of  latitude,  as  we  observed  from  the  color  of 
the  water,  although  it  may  be  deeper  there  than  about 
Newfoundland. 

3.  There  is  a  stream  running  from  the  river  Amazon, 
along  the  coast  of  Guiana,  through  the  Gulf  of  Mexico 
and  the  channel  of  the  Bahamas,  along  the  coast  of  Florida, 
Virginia  and  New  Nctherland,  to  the  banks  of  Newfound- 
land, where,  uniting  with  another  stream,  coming  from  the 
north  out  of  Davis's  strait  and  river  St.  Lawrence,  goes 
again  south,  and  afterwards  S.  W.,  to  the  Bermudas,  but 
mostly  to  the  east  of  them,  the  particular  causes  and 
reasons  of  which  we  will  notice  in  its  proper  place. 

4.  This  stream  has  its  course  along  the  gulfs,  capes  and 
bays  of  the  coast,  the  same  as  we  experienced  near  or  west 
of  Cape  Cod  or  Staten  Hook,  where  for  two  days 
successively,  without  headway  on  the  ship,  and  in  a  calm, 
we  were  carried  by  it  a  degree  to  the  north.  This  should 
be  kept  in  mind,  and  one  should  regulate  himself 
accordingly. 

5.  The  storm  of  the  Bermudas  has  been  mentioned  in 
its  place. 

6.  I  have  heretofore  exposed  mistakes  on  the  large  plane 
chart,  and  it  is  not  material  to  enter  further  into  that 
subject. 

7.  After  we  approached  and  passed  the  Bermudas,  the 
wind  did  not  turn  round  the  compass  with  the  sun,  which 
happened  to  us  four  or  five  times,  and  frequently  does  so, 
as  is  said  by  experienced  persons. 

8.  Therefore,  in  navigating  this  passage  for  this  place,  it 


102 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


is  best,  when  there  are  no  reasons  to  tlie  contrary  arising 
from  the  Turks  or  otherwise,  to  run  just  above  or 
below  the  Azores,  to  latitude  34  and  33,  and  even  to 
32  and  31,  in  order  to  get  into  the  stream,  and  yet  I 
also  consider  it  well  to  sail  to  the  eastward  of  these  islands; 
or  if  you  avoid  the  Azores,  then  to  sail  from  Newfoundland 
or  its  latitude,  due  south,  or  S.  S.  E.,  to  the  before  men- 
tioned latitude  ;  but,  in  returning,  it  is  best  to  follow  the 
coast  to  Newfoundland,  in  order  to  fall  into  the  stream  and 
wind.  The  home  voyage  is  most  always  the  shortest, 
inasmuch  as  the  stream  runs  mostly  along  the  coast. 

9.  When  a  change  occurs  in  the  color  of  the  water,  and 
at  other  times,  the  deep  leadshould  be  much  used.  It  should 
be  of  25  or  30  pounds  weight.  The  ship  or  vessel  should 
lie  as  still  as  possible,  or  the  jolly-boat  should  be  used, 
whether  the  lead  be  thrown  with  a  certainty  as  to  where 
you  may  be,  or  for  the  discovery  of  other  bottom. 

10.  In  storms  or  hurricanes  never  be  without  stern-sails, 
however  small,  unless  you  can  sail  before  the  wind,  but  no 
longer  than  that ;  for  it  is  too  dangerous,  and  too  uncom- 
fortable, both  for  the  ship  and  the  persons  in  her. 

Some  other  observations  in  regard  to  the  art  of  navigation 
and  the  management  of  ships,  of  minor  importance  we 
will  reserve  for  another  occasion. 


TJic  Persons  with  whom  we  made  our  Voyage. 

Although  this  is  such  a  miserable  subject,  that  I 
deliberated  long  whether  it  were  worth  while  to  take  any 
notice  of  it,  yet  since  one  does  not  know  when  a  matter 
can  be  serviceable,  I  will  nevertheless  say  something. 
The  persons  who  belonged  to  the  ship  were  : 
The  captain,  Thomas  Singleton,  an  Englishman,  and  a 


THE  SHIP'S  OFFICERS  AND  PASSENGERS.  103 

quaker,  from  London,  I  believe.  He  had  his  wife 
with  him,  who  was  quite  young,  about  24  or  26  years 
old,  and  he  was  a  person  of  40  or  45.  He  was  not 
the  best  or  most  experienced  seaman  by  a  long  distance. 
He  was  proud  and  very  assiduous  or  officious  to  please 
men,  especially  Margaret  and  her  man ;  yet  he  had  some 
amiable  qualities,  he  was  affable.  He  was  stingy;  for 
when  many  mackerel  were  caught,  he  would  not  give  one 
to  the  poor  sailors.  He  was  even  displeased  if  the  sailors 
came  with  their  fish  lines  to  fish  near  the  place,  where  he 
was,  because  the  fish  might  come  to  their  lines  instead  of 
his.  His  wife  was  a  young,  worldly  creature,  who  had 
not  the  least  appearance  of  quakerism,  but  entirely 
resembled  an  English  lady  fashioned  somewhat  upon 
the  Dutch  model.  She  was  proud,  and  wore  much  silver 
and  gold ;  and  when  Margaret  once  spoke  to  him  about  it, 
he  said,  "  I  did  not  give  it  to  her."  "Whereupon  Margaret 
asked,  "  "Why  did  you  give  her  money  to  buy  them  ?"  To 
which  he  replied,  "  She  wanted  it." 

The  English  mate,  who  afterwards  became  captain,  was 
a  passionate  pei'son,  inwardly  still  more  than  he  showed 
outwardly,  a  great  man-pleaser  where  his  interest  was  to 
be  promoted.  He  was  very  close,  but  was  compelled  to 
be  much  closer  in  order  to  please  Margaret. 

The  Dutch  mate,  Evert,  was  a  wicked,  impious  fellow, 
who  also  drank  freely.  He  was  very  proud  of  his  know- 
ledge and  experience,  which  were  none  of  the  greatest. 

The  boatswain,  Abram,  of  Plymouth,  was  rough  and 
wicked  in  his  orders,  but  he  was  a  strong  and  able  seaman. 
Robyn  was  the  best. 

I  cannot  permit  myself  to  go  further ;  it  is  too  unpleasant 
a  subject. 

The  passengers  and  crew  were  a  wretched  set.  There 
was  no  rest,  night  or  clay,  especially  among  the  wives  —  a 
rabble  I  cannot  describe.    It  was  as  if  they  were  in  the 


104 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


fish  market  or  apple  market,  night  and  day,  without 
cessation;  where,  indeed,  some  of  them  had  obtained  their 
living,  and  even  in  worse  places.  There  were  nine  or  ten 
of  them  always  together.  Among  the  men  there  were 
some  persons  who  drank  like  heasts,  yes,  drank  themselves 
dead  drunk,  as  you  may  judge  from  the  fact  that  two  or 
three  of  them  drank  thirty-five  gallons  of  brandy,  besides 
wine  from  the  time  we  left  England  or  Holland.  It  is  not 
to  be  told  what  miserable  people  Margaret  and  Jan  were, 
and  especially  their  excessive  covetousness.  In  fine,  it  was 
a  Babel.  I  have  never  in  my  life  heard  of  such  a  dis- 
orderly ship.  It  was  confusion  without  end.  I  have  never 
been  in  a  ship  where  there  was  so  much  vermin,  which 
were  communicated  to  us,  and  especially  not  a  few  to  me, 
because  being  in  the  cordage  at  night  I  particularly 
received  them.  There  were  some  bunks  and  clothes  as  full 
as  if  they  had  been  sown.    But  I  must  forbear. 

When  we  first  came  on  board  the  ship  we  eat  where  we 
were,  and  with  those  we  found  there,  but  afterwards  the 
messes  were  regulated,  and  we  were  placed  on  deck  with 
five  or  six  uncouth  youngsters ;  where,  nevertheless,  we 
continued.  This  so  exercised  the  other  passengers,  seeing 
us  submit  so  willingly,  that  they  themselves  could  no  longer 
endure  it,  and  desired  us  to  come  with  them,  and  make  a 
mess  of  eight.  We  had  been  compelled  to  buy  our  stores 
in  England,  as  what  we  had  were  spoiled,  or  not  sufficient. 
There  was  not  a  bit  of  butter  or  vinegar  on  the  food 
during  the  whole  voyage,  except  what  we  had  purchased 
at  Falmouth.  I  do  not  know  how  long  it  was  we  had 
nothing  to  eat  except  heads  of  salt  fish,  and  those  spoiled 
for  the  most  part.  We  had  to  eat  them  till  they  were 
thrown  overboard.  Most  of  the  time"  we  had  white  peas, 
which  our  cook  was  too  lazy  to  clean,  or  were  boiled  in 
stinking  water,  and  when  they  were  brought  on  the  table 
we  had  to  throw  them  away.    The  meat  was  old  and 


FARE  AND  TREATMENT. 


105 


tainted;  the  pork  passable,  but  enormously  thick,  as 
much  as  six  inches  ;  and  the  bread  was  mouldy  or  wormy. 
We  had  a  ration  of  beer  three  times  a  day  to  drink  at  table. 
The  water  smelt  very  bad,  which  was  the  fault  of  the  cap- 
tain. When  we  left  England  the}7  called  us  to  eat  in  the 
cabin,  but  it  was  only  a  change  of  place  and  nothing  more. 
Each  meal  was  dished  up  three  times  in  the  cabin,  first  for 
the  eight  passengers,  then  for  the  captain,  mate  and  wife, 
who  sometimes  did  not  have  as  good  as  we  had,  and  lastly 
for  Margaret  and  Mr.  Jan  who  had  prepared  for  them 
hardly  any  thing  else  except  poultry  and  the  like.  But  this 
is  enough. 

After  we  left  England,  I  took  upon  myself,  out  of  love 
of  the  thing,  and  because  thei'e  were  so  few  persons  to 
work  the  ship,  namely,  ten  in  all,  including  the  captain,  to 
watch  and  attend  the  rudder,  as  well  as  to  make 
observations  in  navigation :  but  when  I  perceived  the 
sailors,  on  this  account,  became  lazy  and  depended  upon 
me,  I  left  the  rudder-gang.  Nevertheless,  when  an  English 
ship  came  near  running  us  down  in  the  watch  off  Cape 
Cod,  causing  thereby  much  uproar  and  confusion  in  our 
ship,  I  did  my  best  to  unfasten  a  rope  which  they  could  not 
make  loose,  at  which  the  mate  raved  and  swore,  and  for 
which  he  would  have  almost  struck  or  killed  me.  When 
my  comrade  heard  of  it  he  wished  me  not  to  do  any  thing 
more,  and  that  was  my  opinion.  I  could  not,  however, 
refrain  from  helping  to  the  last,  but  I  abandoned  the 
watch,  and  so  caused  the  mate  to  feel  that  we  were  not 
insensible,  for  there  was  nothing  else  to  be  done  to  him. 
He,  nevertheless,  invited  us  daily  more  than  any  one  else. 
Finally,  when  the  voyage  was  completed,  there  was  no  one, 
either  captain,  or  mate,  or  sailor,  or  Margaret,  who  said 
"  We  thank  you,"  except  our  poor  Eobyn.  We  had  a 
little  package  put  in  the  ship  at  Falmouth,  about  a  foot 
and  a  half  square,  on  which  the  captain  charged  us  four 
14 


106 


VOYAGE  TO  NEW  YORK. 


guilders  freight,  in  the  money  of  Holland.  We  represented 
to  Margaret  how  we  had  managed  with  only  one  chest 
hetween  us,  although  each  passenger  was  entitled  to  have 
one  of  his  own,  hut  it  was  all  to  no  purpose.  Four 
guilders  it  must  be.  It  was  not  that  we  had  any  difficulty 
in  giving  it,  but  it  was  only  to  be  convinced  of  her 
unblushing  avarice.  The  mate's  wife  was  the  least  evil- 
inclined,  and  listened  most  to  what  was  said  to  her,  which 
we  hope  will  bear  fruit.  We  have  truly  conducted 
ourselves  towards  all  in  general  and  each  one  in  particular, 
so  that  not  only  has  every  one  reason  to  be  edified  and 
convinced,  but,  by  the  grace  of  God,  every  one  renders  us 
testimony  that  we  have  edified  and  convinced  them  as  well 
by  our  lives  as  our  conversation.  Let  him  alone  who  is 
the  author  of  all  grace,  receive  therefor  all  the  glory,  to 
all  eternity.  Amen. 


JOURNAL 


TRAVELS  THROUGH  NEW  NETHERLAND, 


THE  TIME  OP  OUR  ARRIVAL  UNTIL  OUR  DEPARTURE  FOR 
THE  FATHERLAND. 


NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


Having  then  fortunately  arrived,  by  the  blessing  of 
the  Lord,  before  the  city  of  New  York,  on  Saturday, 
the  23d  day  of  September,  we  stepped  ashore  about  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  in  company  with  Gerrit,1  our 
fellow  passenger,  who  would  conduct  us  in  this  strange  place. 
He  had  lived  here  a  long  time  and  had  married  his  wife 
here,  although  she  and  his  children  were  living  at  present, 
at  Zwolle.  We  went  along  with  him,  but  as  he  met  many 
of  his  old  acquaintances  on  the  way,  we  were  constantly 
stopped.  He  first  took  us  to  the  house  of  one  of  his  friends, 
who  welcomed  him  and  us,  and  offered  us  some  of  the  fruit 
of  the  country,  very  fine  peaches  and  full  grown  apples, 
which  filled  our  hearts  with  thankfulness  to  God.  This 
fruit  was  exceedingly  fair  and  good,  and  pleasant  to  the 
taste;  much  better  than  that  in  Holland  or  elsewhere, 
though  I  believe  our  long  fasting  and  craving  of  food 
made  it  so  agreeable.  After  taking  a  glass  of  Madeira,  we 
proceeded  on  to  Gerrit's  father-in-law's,  a  very  old  man, 
half  lame,  and  unable  either  to  walk  or  stand,  who  fell  upon 
the  neck  of  his  son-in-law,  welcoming  him  with  tears  of 
joy.    The  old  woman  was  also  very  glad.    This  good  man 


1  Gerrit  Cornelius  Van  Duyne,  the  common  ancestor  of  the  Van  Duyne 
family  in  this  country.  He  died  in  1706.  For  further  particulars  in 
relation  to  him  the  reader  may  consult  the  Genealogy  of  the  Bergen  Family, 
by  Hon.  Tennis  G.  Bergen:  New  York,  I860,  pp.  221. 


110 


NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


was  born  in  Vlissingen,  and  was  named  Jacob  Swart.1  He 
bad  been  formerly  a  master  carpenter  at  Amsterdam,  but 
bad  lived  in  tins  country  upwards  of  forty-five  years. 
After  we  had  been  here  a  little  while,  we  left  our  traveling 
bag,  and  went  out  to  take  a  walk  in  the  fields.  It  was 
strange  to  us  to  feel  such  stability  under  us,  although  it 
seemed  as  if  the  earth  itself  moved  under  our  feet  like  the 
sbip  had  done  for  three  months  past,  and  our  body  also 
still  swayed  after  the  manner  of  the  rolling  of  the  sea; 
but  this  sensation  gradually  passed  oft"  in  the  course  of  a 
few  days.  As  we  walked  along  we  saw  in  different  gardens 
trees  full  of  apples  of  various  kinds,  and  so  laden  with 
peaches  and  other  fruit  that  one  might  doubt  whether  there 
were  more  leaves  or  fruit  on  them.  I  have  never  seen  in 
Europe,  in  the  best  seasons,  such  an  overflowing  abundance. 
When  we  had  finished  our  tour  and  given  our  guide  several 
letters  to  deliver,  we  returned  to  his  father-in-law's,  who 
regaled  us  in  the  evening  with  milk,  which  refreshed  us 
much.  We  had  so  many  peaches  set  before  us  that  we 
were  timid  about  eating  them,  though  we  experienced  no 
ill  effects  from  them.  "We  remained  there  to  sleep,  which 
was  the  first  time  in  nine  or  ten  weeks  that  we  had  lain 
down  upon  a  bed  undressed,  and  able  to  yield  ourselves  to 
sleep  without  apprehension  of  danger. 

24//*,  Sunday.  We  rested  well  through  the  night.  I  was 
surprised  on  waking  up  to  find  my  comrade  had  already 
dressed  himself  and  breakfasted  upon  peaches.  We  walked 
out  awhile  in  the  fine,  pure  morning  air,  along  the  margin 
of  the  clear  running  water  of  the  sea,  which  is  driven  up 
this  river  at  every  tide.     As  it  was  Sunday,  in  order  to 


1  Jacob  Swart  and  Truytjc  Jacobs,  his  wife,  were  still  living  in  1686,  in 
the  Smits  valley  (Pearl  street,  between  "Wall  street  and  Franklin  square), 
according  to  Dornine  Selyns'  list  of  members  of  the  Dutch  church. —  I 

New  York  Historical  Society  Collections,  new  series,  398. 


DOMINE  SCHAATS.   FORT  AMSTERDAM.  m 


avoid  scandal  and  for  other  reasons,  we  did  not  wish  to 
absent  ourselves  from  church.  We  therefore  went,  and 
found  there  truly  a  wild  worldly  world.  I  say  wild,  not 
only  because  the  people  are  wild,  as  they  call  it  in  Europe, 
but  because  most  all  the  people  who  go  there  to  live,  or  who 
are  born  there,  partake  somewhat  of  the  nature  of  the 
country,  that  is,  peculiar  to  the  land  where  they  live.  We 
heard  a  minister  preach,  who  had  come  from  the  up-river 
country,  from  fort  Orange,  where  his  residence  is,  an  old 
man,  named  Domine  Schaats,  of  Amsterdam.  He  was,  it 
appears,  a  Voetian,  and  had  come  down  for  the  purpose  of 
approving,  examining,  ordaining  and  collating  a  student ; 
to  perform  which  office  the  neighboring  ministers  come 
here,  as  to  the  capital,  and,  in  order  that  the  collation  may 
be  approved  by  the  governor,  who,  at  this  time,  was  not  at 
home,  but  was  at  Pemequick,  in  the  northerly  parts  of  New 
England.1  This  student,  named  Tcsscmakcr,  from  Utrecht, 
I  believe,  was  a  Voetian,  and  had  found  some  obstacles  in 
his  way,  because  the  other  ministers  were  all  Cocceians, 
namely :  Do.  Meivenhitisen,  of  (New)  Amsterdam,  (Do.  Van 
Zuren),  of  Long  Island,  and  Do.  Gaesbeck,  of  Esopus,  whose 
son  is  sheriff  of  this  city.  He  was  to  minister  at  the  South 
river,  near  the  governor  there,  or  in  the  principal  place,  as 
he  himself  told  us.  The  governor  was  expected  home  every 
day,  and  then  Tessemaker  supposed  he  would  be  dispatched. 

The  governor  is  the  greatest  man  in  New  Netherland, 
and  acknowledges  no  superior  in  all  America,  except  the 
viceroy,  who  resides  upon  Jamaica. 


1  The  governor  here  alluded  to  was  Sir  Edmund  Andros,  who  was  com- 
missioned as  such  by  the  Duke  of  York  over  all  the  territories  granted  and 
confirmed  to  the  duke  by  Charles  I,  embracing  not  only  the  conquered 
province  of  New  Netherland,  extending  from  the  Connecticut  river  to  the 
Delaware,  but  also  a  portion  of  the  province  of  Maine  lying  between  the 
Kennebec  and  St.  Croix,  of  which  tract  Pemaquid  was  the  principal  point. 
Andros  had  built  a  fort  there  two  years  before  this  time. 


NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


This  Schaats,  then,  preached.  He  had  a  defect  in  the 
left  eye,  and  used  such  strange  gestures  and  language  that 
I  think  I  never  in  all  my  life  have  heard  any  thing  more 
miserahle  ;  indeed,  I  can  compare  him  with  no  one  better 
than  with  one  Do.  Van  Ecke,  lately  the  minister  at 
Armuydcn,  in  Zeeland,  more  in  life,  conversation  and 
gestures  than  in  person.  As  it  is  not  strange  in  these 
countries  to  have  men  as  ministers  who  drink,  we  could 
imagine  nothing  else  than  that  he  had  heen  drinking  a  little 
this  morning.  His  text  was,  Come  unto  me  all  ye,  $c.,  hut 
he  was  so  rough  that  even  the  roughest  and  most  godless 
of  our  sailors  were  astonished. 

The  church  being  in  the  fort,  we  had  an  opportunity  to 
look  through  the  latter,  as  we  had  come  too  early  for 
preaching.  It  is  not  large  ;  it  has  four  points  or  batteries ; 
it  has  no  moat  outside,  but  is  enclosed  with  a  double  row 
of  palisades.  It  is  built  from  the  foundation  with  quarry 
stone.  The  parapet  is  of  earth.  It  is  well  provided  witt 
cannon,  for  the  most  part  of  iron,  though  there  were  some 
small  brass  pieces,  all  bearing  the  mark  or  arms  of  the 
Nethcrlanders.  The  garrison  is  small.  There  is  a  well  of 
fine  water  dug  in  the  fort  by  the  English,  contrary  to  the 
opinion  of  the  Dutch,  who  supposed  the  fort  was  built  upon 
rock,  and  had  therefore  never  attempted  any  such  thing. 
There  is,  indeed,  some  indication  of  stone  there,  for  along 
the  edge  of  the  water  below  the  fort  there  is  a  very  large 
rock  extending  apparently  under  the  fort,  which  is  built 
upon  the  point  formed  by  the  two  rivers,  namely,  the  East 
river,  which  is  the  water  running  between  the  Mahatam 
and  Long  Island,  and  the  North  river,  which  runs  straight  up 
to  fort  Orange.  In  front  of  the  fort,  on  the  Long  Island 
side,  there  is  a  small  island  called  Notcn  island  (Xut  island), 
around  the  point  of  which  vessels  must  go  in  sailing  out  or 
in,  whereby  they  are  compelled  to  pass  close  by  the  point 
of  the  fort,  where  they  can  be  flanked  by  several  of  the 


DO.  NIEUENHUISEN.   JEAN  VIGNE.  113 


batteries.  It  has  only  one  gate,  and  that  is  on  the  land 
side,  opening  upon  a  broad  plain  or  street,  called  the 
Broadway  or  Beaverway.  Over  this  gate  are  the  arms  of 
the  Duke  of  York.  During  the  time  of  the  Dutch  there 
were  two  gates,  namely,  another  on  the  water  side ;  but  the 
English  have  closed  it,  and  made  a  battery  there,  with  a  false 
gate.  In  front  of  the  church  is  inscribed  the  name  of 
Governor  Kyft,  who  caused  the  same  to  be  built  in  the 
year  1642.  It  has  a  shingled  roof,  and  upon  the  gable  to- 
wards  the  water  there  is  a  small  wooden  tower,  with  a 
bell  in  it,  but  no  clock.  There  is  a  sun-dial  on  three 
sides.  The  front  of  the  fort  stretches  east  and  west,  and 
consequently  the  sides  run  north  and  south. 

After  we  had  returned  to  the  house  and  dined,  my  com- 
rade not  wishing  to  go  to  church,  sat  about  writing  letters, 
as  there  was  a  ship,  of  which  Andre  Bon  was  master, 
about  to  leave  in  a  few  days  for  London ;  but  in  order  we 
should  not  be  both  absent  from  church,  and  as  the  usual 
minister  was  to  preach  in  the  afternoon,  I  went  alone  to 
hear  him.  He  was  a  thick,  corpulent  person  with  a  red 
and  bloated  face,  and  of  very  slabbering  speech.1  His  text 
was,  the  elders  who  serve  well,  £c,  because  the  elders  and 
deacons  were  that  day  renewed,  and  I  saw  them'  admitted. 
After  preaching,  the  good  old  people  with  whom  we 
lodged,  who,  indeed,  if  they  were  not  the  best  on  all  the 
Manathans,  were  at  least  among  the  best,  especially  the 
wife,  begged  we  would  go  with  their  son  Gerrit,  to  one  of 
their  daughters,  who  lived  in  a  delightful  place,  and  kept  a 
tavern,  where  we  would  be  able  to  taste  the  beer  of  New 
Wetherland,  inasmuch  as  it  was  also  a  brewery.  Some  of 
their  friends  passing  by  requested  Gerrit  and  us  to  accom- 
pany them,  and  so  we  went  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  what 
was  to  be  seen;  but  when  we  arrived  there,  we  found  our- 


Thc  minister  here  referred  to  was  the  Rev.  William  Nieuenkuisen. 
15 


114 


NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


selves  much  deceived.  On  account  of  its  being,  to  some 
extent  a  pleasant  spot,  it  was  resorted  to  on  Sundays  by  all 
sorts  of  revellers,  and  was  a  low  pot-house.  Our  company 
immediately  found  acquaintances  there  and  joined  them, 
but  it  being  repugnant  to  our  feelings  to  be  there,  we 
walked  into  the  orchard  to  seek  pleasure  in  contemplating 
the  innocent  objects  of  nature.  Among  other  trees  we 
observed  a  mulberry  tree,  the  leaves  of  which  were  as  large 
as  a  plate.  The  wife  showed  us  pears  larger  than  the  fist, 
picked  from  a  three  year's  graft  which  had  borne  forty  of 
them.  A  great  storm  of  rain  coining  up  in  the  evening 
compelled  us  to  go  into  the  house,  where  we  did  not  remain 
long  with  the  others,  but  took  our  leave  of  them,  against 
their  wishes.  We  retraced  our  steps  in  the  dark,  exploring 
a  way  over  which  we  had  gone  only  once  in  our  life, 
through  a  valey  (salt  meadow)  and  over  water,  upon  the 
trunk  of  a  tree.  We  nevertheless  reached  home,  having 
left  the  others  in  their  revels.  While  in  their  company 
we  conversed  with  the  first  male  bora  of  Europeans  in  New 
Netherland,  named  Jean  Vigne.  His  parents  were  from 
Valenciennes  and  he  was  now  about  sixty-five  years  of  age. 
lie  was  a  brewer  and  a  neighbor  of  our  old  people.1 


1  This  is  an  interesting  statement,  which  may  not  only  be  compared  with 
that  hitherto  received,  attributing  to  Sarah  de  Rapaljc,  who  was  born  on 
the  Oth  of  June,  1623,  the  honor  of  having  been  the  first  born  Christian 
child  in  New  Netherland,  but  is  to  be  considered  in  other  respects. 
According  to  the  data  given  by  our  travelers,  who,  writing  in  1679,  make 
Jean  Vigne"  sixty -five  years  old  at  that  time,  he  must  have  been  born  in 
the  year  1614,  eleven  years  before  Sarah  de  Rapalje,  and  at  the  very 
earliest  period  compatible  with  the  sojourn  of  any  Hollanders  upon  our 
territory.  Jean  Vigne  belonged  to  the  class  of  great  burghers  in  New 
Amsterdam,  and  was  one  of  the  schepens  ot  the  city  in  the  years  1655,  56, 
61  and  63. —  CtGaUagharCi  Register  of  New  Netherland,  61-3,  174.  He  was 
twice  married.—  New  York  Manual,  1862.  Valentine  says  (History  of  New 
York,  73),  that  he  died  in  1691  without  issue.  In  this  statement  in  regard 
to  his  being  the  first  person  of  European  parentage  born  in  New  Netherland 
there  are  some  notable  points.    The  first  trading  voyages  to  Hudson's 


DUTIES  ON  GOODS. 


115 


A  ketch  came  in  from  sea  this  evening,  of  which  David 
Jochemsen  was  the  master.  She  left  England  three  weeks 
before  us,  and  was  the  same  one  we  saw  the  day  we  came 
in.  The  captain  said  he  recollected  to  have  seen  us,  hat 
observing  us  tacking  several  times,  he  did  not  dare  follow 
us,  for  fear  of  being  misled. 

25th,  Monday.  "VVe  went  on  board  the  ship  this  morning 
in  order  to  obtain  our  traveling  bag  and  clothes  for  the 
purpose  of  having  them  washed,  but  when  we  came  on 
board  we  could  not  get  ashore  again,  before  the  afternoon, 
when  the  passengers'  goods  were  to  be  delivered.  All  our 
goods  which  were  between  decks,  were  taken  ashore  and 
carried  to  the  public  storehouse,  where  they  had  to  be 
examined;  but  some  time  elapsed  before  it  was  done 
in  consequence  of  the  examiners  being  elsewhere.  At 
length,  however,  one  Abraham  Lennoy,1  a  good  fellow 


river  were  made  by  the  Dutch  in  1013-14,  and  the  first  wintering  or  habita- 
tion there  was  in  1614-15.  There  must  have  been,  therefore,  one  European 
woman  at  least  in  the  country  at  that  early  period.  Whether  Jean  Vigne's 
parents  returned  to  Holland  or  remained  here  during  the  obscure  period 
between  the  time  of  his  birth  and  the  occupation  of  the  country  by  the 
West  India  Company,  it  is  impossible  to  determine.  Either  may  have 
been  the  case.  If  the  statement,  however,  be  correct,  and  there  is  nothing 
'  inconsistent  in  it,  with  the  history  of  the  colony  as  far  as  known,  Jean 
Vign6  was  not  only  the  first  born  of  European  parents  in  New  Netherland 
but  as  far  as  known  in  the  whole  United  States  north  of  Virginia.  We 
deem  it  of  sufficient  importance  to  give  here  the  statement  of  our  travel- 
ers in  regard  to  him  in  the  original  language:  Wijhaddcn  ind  it  gcseltschap 
gcxproken  den  eerst  gcboren  mans-persoon  van  Europianen  in  Nku  Nederlant, 
genoemt  Jean  Vigne.  Sijne  ouders  waren  van  Valencijn,  en  hij  was  nu 
ontreul  65  jacr  out,  synde  ook  een  brouwer  en  buerman  van  onse  oude  luij. 

1  Peter  La  Noy,  or  De  la  Noy,  is  here  meant,  as  is  evident  from  what  is 
said  subsequently  in  this  journal  under  the  date  of  the  fifth  of  October. 
Peter  was  at  this  time  book-keeper  to  the  collector  of  the  port.  He  was 
afterwards  collector  and  was  mayor  of  the  city  under  Leisler,  and  a 
member  of  his  council. —  New  York  Colonial  History,  vol.  Ill,  302, 596, 645. 
Abraham  was  his  brother,  and  a  schoolmaster. 


116 


NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


apparently,  befriended  us.  lie  examined  our  chest  only, 
without  touching  our  bedding  or  any  tiling  else.  I  showed 
him  a  list  of  the  tin  which  we  had  in  the  upper  part  of  our 
chest,  and  lie  examined  it  and  also  the  tin,  and  turned  up 
a  little  more  what  was  in  the  chest,  and  with  that  left  oft", 
without  looking  at  it  closely.  He>  demanded  four  English 
shillings  for  the  tin,  remarking  at  the  same  time,  that  he  had 
observed  some  other  small  articles,  but  would  not  examine 
them  closely,  though  he  had  not  seen  cither  the  box  or  the 
pieces  of  linen.  This  being  finished  we  sent  our  goods  in 
a  cart  to  our  lodgings,  paying  for  the  two  heavy  chests  and 
straw  beds,  and  other  goods  from  the  public  storehouse,  to 
the  Smit's  vaiey,  sixteen  stuivers  of  zeewan,  equal  to  three 
stuivers  and  a  half  in  the  money  of  H  olland.1  This  finished 
the  day  and  we  retired  to  rest. 

26th,  Tuesday.  We  remained  at  home  for  the  purpose  of 
writing,  but  in  the  afternoon  finding  that  many  goods  had 
been  discharged  from  the  ship,  we  went  to  look  after  our 
little  package,  which  also  came.,  I  declared  it,  and  it  was 
examined.  I  had  to  pay  24  guilders  in  zeewan  or  five 
guilders2  in  the  coin  of  Holland.  I  brought  it  to  the 
house  and  looked  the  things  all  over,  rejoicing  that  we 
were  finally  rid  of  that  miserable  set  and  the  ship,  the 
freight  only  remaining  to  be  paid  which  was  fixed  at  four 
guilders  in  coin.  We  went  first  to  Margaret  in  relation 
to  the  freight,  who  said  she  had  nothing  more  to  do  with 
it,  and  that  we  must  speak  to  her  husband  about  it,  which 
it  was  not  convenient  to  do  that  evening,  and  we  therefore 
let  it  go,  waiting  for  an  opportunity  to  speak  to  her  and 
her  husband  with  the  captain  and  perhaps  also  Mr.  Jan. 

27th,  Wednesday.  Nothing  occurred  to-day  except  that  I 
went  to  assist  Gerrit  in  bringing  his  goods  home,  and 


1  Three  cents  and  a  half. 

2  Two  dollars. 


LONG  ISLAND. 


117 


declaring  them,  which  we  did.  We  heard  that  one  of  the 
wicked  and  godless  sailors  had  broken  his  leg ;  and  in  this 
we  saw  and  acknowledged  the  Lord  and  his  righteousness. 
We  visited  Jean  Vigne  in  order,  as  he  was  one  of  the 
oldest  inhabitants,  to  obtain  from  him  information  on 
various  matters  relating  to  the  country. 

28th,  Thursday.  We  remained  at  home  to-day.  I  per- 
formed some  little  errands.  Monsieur  La  Grange^  called 
upon  us,  dressed  up  like  a  great  fop,  as  he  was.  My  com- 
rade did  not  fail  to  speak  to  him  seriously  on  the  subject. 
He  requested  its  to  go  with  him  immediately  to  his  house, 
as  I  at  length  did.  His  house  was  not  far  from  our 
lodgings  on  the  front  of  the  city.  He  had  a  small  shop,  as 
most  all  the  people  here  have,  who  gain  their  living  by 
trade,  namely,  in  tobacco  and  liquors,  thread  and  pins  and 
other  knick-knacks.  His  wife  welcomed  me,  and  instantly 
requested  that  we  would  come  to  their  house  and  stay  there 
as  long  as  we  were  here,  for  which  I  thanked  them.  They 
had  lost  a  child  by  the  small  pox,  and  they  had  been  sick 
with  the  same  disease.  He  said  he  intended  to  go  to  the 
South  river  within  three  weeks,  and  hearing  we  were 
inclined  to  travel,  he  desired  our  company,  being  willing 
to  take  us  every  where  and  to  give  us  every  information. 
I  thanked  him,  but  gave  him  no  assurances,  telling  him  we 
would  see  what  the  Lord  would  will  of  us. 

29th,  Friday.  We  finished  our  letters,  and  intended 
to  go  to-day  over  to  Long  Island.  At  noon  a  person 
came  to  us  in  our  chamber  and  requested  that  we  would 
be  pleased  to  go  to  their  minister,  who  was  in  the  next 
house,  as  he  was  desirous  of  seeing  and  conversing  with 
us,  having  already  heard  much  good  of  us.  We  excused 
ourselves  on  the   ground  that  we  were  busy  writing, 


1  La  Grange  seems  to  have  been  one  of  the  persons  to  whom  the  travel- 
ers brought  letters. 


118 


NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


endeavoring  to  finish  our  letters,  in  order,  if  it  were  possi- 
ble, to  go  over  to  Long  Island  in  the  afternoon,  with  which 
he  went  away. 

As  soon  as  we  had  dined  we  sent  off*  our  letters ;  and 
this  being  all  accomplished,  we  started  at  two  o'clock  for 
Long  Island.    Tliis  island  is  called  Long  Island,  not  so 
much  because  it  is  longer  than  it  is  broad,  but  particularly 
because  it  is  the  longest  island  in  this  region,  or  even 
alone  the  whole  coast  of  New  Netherland,  Virginia  and 
New  England.    It  is  one  hundred  and  forty-four  miles  in 
length,  and  from  twenty-four  to  twenty-eight  miles  wide, 
though  there  are  several  bays  and  points  along  it,  and,  con- 
secmently,  it  is  much  broader  in  some  places  than  others. 
On  the  west  is  Staten  island,  from  which  it  is  separated 
about  a  mile,  and  the  great  bay  over  which  you  see  the 
Nevcsincke.     With  Staten  island  it  makes  the  passage 
through  which  all  vessels  pass  in  sailing  from  or  to  the 
Mahalans,  although  they  can  go  through  the  Kil  van  Kol, 
which  is  on  the  other  side  of  Staten  island.     The  ends  of 
these  islands  opposite  each  other  are  quite  high  land,  and 
they  arc,  therefore,  called  the  Hoofden  (Headlands),  from  a 
comparison  with  the  Hoofden  of  the  channel  between 
England  and  France,  in  Europe.     On  the  north  is  the 
island  of  3fahatans  and  a  part  of  the  mainland.    On  the 
east  is  the  sea,  which  shoots  up  to  New  England,  and  in 
which  there  are  various  islands.    On  the  south  is  the  great 
ocean.    The  outer  shore  of  this  island  has  before  it  several 
small  islands  and  broken  land,  such  as  Coney  island,1  a  low 
sandy  island  of  about  three  hours'  circuit,  its  westerly  point 
forming  with  Sandy  Hook,  on  the  other  side,  the  entrance 
from  the  sea.     It  is  oblong  in  shape,  and  is  grown  over 
with  bushes.     Nobody  lives  upon  it,  but  it  is  used  in 
winter  for  keeping  cattle,  horses,  oxen,  hogs  and  others, 


»'<  Conijnen  Eylant,  Rabbit's  island. 


THE  FERRY  TO  BROOKLYN. 


119 


which  are  able  to  obtain  there  sufficient  to  eat  the  whole 
winter,  and  to  shelter  themselves  from  the  cold  in  the 
thickets.  This  island  is  not  so  cold  as  Long  Island  or  the 
Mahatans,  or  others,  like  some  other  islands  on  the  coast, 
in  consequence  of  their  having  more  sea  breeze,  and  of  the 
saltness  of  the  sea  breaking  upon  the  shoals,  rocks  and 
reefs,  with  which  the  coast  is  beset.  There  is  also  the 
Bear's  island 1  and  others,  separated  from  Long  Island  by 
creeks  and  marshes  overflown  at  high  water.  There  are 
also  on  this  sea  coast  various  miry  places,  like  the  Vlaeck,2 
and  others,  as  well  as  some  sand  bays  and  hard  and  rocky 
shores.  Long  Island  stretches  into  the  sea  for  the  most 
part  east  by  south  and  east  southeast.  None  of  its  land  is 
very  high,  for  you  must  be  nearly  opposite  Sandy  Hook 
before  you  can  see  it.  There  is  a  hill  or  ridge  running 
lengthwise  through  the  island,  nearest  the  north  side  and 
west  end  of  the  island.  The  south  side  and  east  end  are 
more  flat.  The  water  by  which  it  is  separated  from  the 
Mahatans,  is  improperly  called  the  East  river,  for  it  is 
nothing  else  than  an  arm  of  the  sea,  beginning  in  the  bay 
on  the  west  and  ending  in  the  sea  on  the  east.  After 
forming  in  this  passage  several  islands,  this  water  is  as 
broad  before  the  city  as  the  Y  before  Amsterdam,  but  the 
ebb  and  flood  tides  are  stronger.  There  is  a  ferry  for  the 
purpose  of  crossing  over  it,  which  is  farmed  out  by  the 
year,  and  yields  a  good  income,  as  it  is  a  considerable 
thoroughfare,  this  island  being  one  of  the  most  populous 
places  in  this  vicinity.  A  considerable  number  of  Indians 
live  upon  it,  who  gain  their  subsistence  by  hunting  and 
fishing,  and  they,  as  well  as  others,  must  carry  their  articles 
to  market  over  this  ferry,  or  boat  them  over,  as  it  is  free  to 
every  one  to  use  his  own  boat,  if  he  have  one,  or  to  borrow 


* 't  Beercn  Eijlant.    Now  called  Barren  island. 

2  The  Wienngen  shoals  in  the  Zuyder  Zee  are  probably  meant. 


120 


NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


or  hire  one  for  the  purpose.  The  fare  over  the  ferry  is 
three  stuivers1  in  zecwan  for  each  person. 

Here  we  three  crossed  over,  my  comrade,  Gerrit,  our 
guide,  and  myself,  in  a  row-hoat,  as  it  happened,  which,  in 
good  weather  and  tide,  carries  a  sail.  AVhen  we  came 
over  we  found  there  Jan  Teunissen,  our  fellow  passenger, 
who  had  promised  us  so  much  good.  lie  was  going  over 
to  the  city,  to  deliver  his  letters  and  transact  other  husiness. 
He  told  us  he  would  return  home  in  the  evening,  and  we 
would  find  him  there.  We  went  on,  up  the  hill,  along 
open  roads  and  a  little  woods,  through  the  first  village, 
called  Brcukelen,  which  has  a  small  and  ugly  little  church 
standing  in  the  middle  of  the  road.2  Having  passed 
through  here,  we  struck  off  to  the  right,  in  order  to  go  to 
Gouancs.  We  went  upon  several  plantations  where  Gerrit 
was  acquainted  with  most  all  of  the  people,  who  made  us 
very  welcome,  sharing  with  us  bountifully  whatever  they 
had,  whether  it  was  milk,  cider,  fruit  or  tohacco,  and 
especially,  and  first  and  most  of  all,  miserahle  rum  or 
hrandy  which  had  heen  hrought  from  Barbadoes  and  other 
islands,  and  which  is  called  by  the  Dutch  kiU-devU.  All 
these  people  are  very  fond  of  it,  and  most  of  them  extrava- 
gantly so,  although  it  is  very  dear  and  has  a  bad  taste.  It 


1  Less  than  half  a  cent  in  our  money. 

1  Breukelen,  now  Brooklyn,  was  so  called  from  the  village  of  that  name 
in  the  province  of  Utrecht.  The  church  here  referred  to  was  built  in  1666, 
and  was  the  first  one  in  Brooklyn.  When  it  was  taken  down  does  not 
appear.  "  A  second  church,"  says  Fumian,  in  his  Notes  relating  to  Brook- 
lyn, 76,  "  was  erected  on  the  site  of  that  built  in  1666,  which  second  church 
continued  standing  until  about  1810,  when  a  new  and  substantial  church 
was  erected  on  Joralemon  street,  and  the  old  one  taken  down.  This 
old  church  was  a  very  gloomy  looking  building,  with  small  windows, 
and  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  highway,  about  a  mile  from  Brooklyn 
ferry."  Of  this  second  church  a  view  is  given  in  the  Brooklyn  Manual, 
of  1863. 


GOWANUS.    SIMON  DE  HART. 


121 


is  impossible  to  tell  how  many  peach  trees  we  passed,  all 
laden  with  fruit  to  breaking  down,  and  many  of  them 
actually  broken  down.  "We  came  to  a  place  surrounded 
with  such  trees  from  which  so  many  had  fallen  off  that  the 
ground  could  not  be  discerned,  and  you  could  not  put 
your  foot  down  without  trampling  them;  and,  notwith- 
standing such  large  quantities  had  fallen  off,  the  trees  still 
were  as  full  as  they  could  bear.  The  hogs  and  other 
animals  mostly  feed  on  them.  This  place  belongs  to  the 
oldest  European  woman  in  the  country.  "We  went  imme- 
diately into  her  house,  where  she  lived  with  her  children. 
We  found  her  sitting  by  the  fire,  smoking  tobacco  inces- 
santly, one  pipe  after  another.  We  enquired  after  her  age, 
which  the  children  told  us  was  an  hundred  years.  She  was 
from  Luyck  (Liege),  and  still  spoke  good  Waalsche  (old 
French),  with  us.  She  could  reason  very  well  sometimes, 
and  at  other  times  she  could  not.  She  showed  us  several 
large  apples,  as  good  fruit  of  that  country,  and  different 
from  that  of  Europe.  She  had  been  about  fifty  years  now 
in  the  country,  and  had  above  seventy  children  and  grand- 
children. She  saw  the  third  generation  after  her.  Her 
mother  had  attended  women  in  child-bed  in  her  one 
hundred  and  sixth  year,  and  was  one  hundred  and  eleven 
or  twelve  years  old  when  she  died.  We  tasted  here,  for 
the  first  time,  smoked  ticaelft1  (twelfth),  a  fish  so  called 
because  it  is  caught  in  season  next  after  the  elft 2  (eleventh). 
It  was  salted  a  little  and  then  smoked,  and,  although  it  was 
now  a  ye&r  old,  it  was  still  perfectly  good,  and  in  flavor 
not  inferior  to  smoked  salmon.  We  drank  here,  also,  the 
first  new  cider,  which  was  very  fine. 

We  proceeded  on  to  Gouanes,  a  place  so  called,  where  we 
arrived  in  the  evening  at  one  of  the  best  friends  of  Gerrit, 


1  Tlic  striped  bass. 
J  The  shad. 

16 


122 


NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  ATCINITY. 


named  Syinon.1  lie  was  very  glad  to  see  us,  and  so  was 
his  wife.  Tie  took  us  into  the  house,  and  entertained  us 
exceedingly  well.    AVe  found  a  good  fire,  half-way  up  the 

'Thifl  settler  was  Simon  Aertsen  J)e  Hart,  who  immigrated  to  this 
COnntty  in  1004.  His  wife,  at  this  time,  wasGeertie  (Gertrude)  Comelissen. 
I'pon  her  death  lie  married  the  widow  of  William  Huycken,  of  Gowanos, 
on  June;  19,  Ui!H.  The  house  in  which  he  entertained  our  travelers  is  still 
standing,  in  1800.  We  are  indebted  to  the  Hon.  Teunis  G.  Bergen,  son  of 
the  late  Garret  Bergen,  of  Gowanos,  for  the  following  interesting  particu- 
lars in  relation  to  this  ancient  dwelling  and  its  several  proprietors,  showing 
it  to  have  been  in  the  same  family  ever  since;  the  visit  of  the  travelers. 

"  Simon  Aertsen  De  Hart  settled  in  Brooklyn  suhx  ijuently  to  his  arrival  in 
this  country,  in  1664,  upon  a  portion  of  a  tract  of  land  of  930  acres,  bought 
by  William  Arianse  Bcnnct  and  .laccpies  Bentyn  of  the  Indians  in  1030, 
extending  from  the  vicinity  of  27th  street,  in  Brooklyn,  to  the  New 
Utrecht  line  at  Bay  ridge.  This  entire  tract  was  surveyed  May  21,  1000, 
by  Augustus  Graham,  surveyor  general  of  the  colony,  and  the  map  of  his 
survey  is  on  file  in  the  office  of  the  secretary  of  state  at  Albany.  Two 
dwelling  houses  are  represented  upon  it,  one  where  the  present  Sehermer- 
horn  house  is  situated,  and  the  other  west  of  the  first  meadow,  where  the 
present  house,  partially  of  stone,  stands,  on  Gowanos  cove,  near  28th 
street,  and  on  the  parcel  designated  on  the  map  as  land  said  to  be  sold  to 
Simon  Arison.  Governor  Fletcher  issued  a  confirmatory  grant  or  patent, 
on  2d  November,  1090, to  Simon  Arison,  for  303  acres,  embracing  the  two 
parcels  designated  on  the  map  as  "  the  land  in  difference  between  Simon 
Arison  and  Adriaen  Bennet,"  and  "  the  land  said  to  be  sold  to  Simon 
Arison."  Tradition  has  handed  down  the  house  still  standing  on  the  cove 
near  28th  street  as  theone  occupied  by  Simon  Arison.  The  main  building 
is  of  stone.  The  wing,  which  is  built  entirely  of  wood,  has  probably  been 
added  since  the  main  house  was  erected,  which  has  undoubtedly  been 
several  times  altered  and  materially  repaired.  About  fifty  years  ago 
Simon  Bergen,  its  owner  at  that  time,  proposed  to  take  it  down,  on  account 
of  its  general  decay,  but  upon  the  persuasion  of  Garret  Bergen,  his 
adjoining  neighbor,  he  was  induced  to  put  it  in  repair,  and  place  a  new 
roof  upon  it ;  and  so  it  has  remained  to  the  present  day.  The  children  of 
Simon  Aertsen  De  Hart  were  Simon  (2),  who  inherited  this  plantation, 
Elias  and  Annetje.  Simon  (2)  had  only  one  son,  Simon  (3),  who  also  in- 
herited the  land,  and  several  daughters,  one  of  which,  Geertje,  married 
Simon  Bergen.  Simon  (3)  had  no  children,  and  by  will  devised  the 
property  to  his  sister  Geertje,  wife  of  Simon  Bergen.  Simon  Bergen,  Jun., 
son  of  Simon  and  Geertje  Bergen,  took  the  portion  of  the  land  where  the 
house  stands  ;  and  his  daughter  Leah,  who  married  Jacob  Morris,  is  now 
the  owner  for  life,  with  remainder  over  to  her  issue,  under  the  will  of  her 
father."  A  copy  6f  the  map  made  by  Mr.  Graham  is  preserved  in  the 
Brooklyn  Manual  for  1863,  p.  360. 


THE  NYACK  INDIANS. 


123 


chimney,  of  clear  oak  and  hickory,  of  which  they  made 
not  the  least  scrapie  of  burning  profusely.  "We  let  it  pene- 
trate us  thoroughly.  There  had  been  already  thrown  upon 
it,  to  be  roasted,  a  pail-full  of  Gouanes  oysters,  which  are 
the  best  in  the  country.  They  are  fully  as  good  as  those 
of  England,  and  better  than  those  we  eat  at  Falmouth.  I 
had  to  try  some  of  them  raw.  They  are  large  and  full, 
some  of  them  not  less  than  a  foot  long,  and  they  grow 
sometimes  ten,  twelve  and  sixteen  together,  and  are  then 
like  a  piece  of  rock.  Others  are  young  and  small.  In 
consequence  of  the  great  quantities  of  them,  everybody 
keeps  the  shells  for  the  purpose  of  burning  them  into  lime. 
They  pickle  the  oysters  in  small  casks,  and  send  them  to 
Barbadoes  and  the  other  islands.  We  had  for  supper  a 
roasted  haunch  of  venison,  which  he  had  bought  of  the 
Indians  for  three  guilders  and  a  half  of  seewant,  that  is, 
fifteen  stuivers  of  Dutch  money  (fifteen  cents),  and  which 
weighed  thirty  pounds.  The  meat  was  exceedingly 
tender  and  good,  and  also  quite  fat.  It  had  a  slight  spicy 
flavor.  We  were  also  served  with  wild  turkey,  which 
was  also  fat  and  of  a  good  flavor ;  and  a  wild  goose,  but 
that  was  rather  dry.  Every  thing  we  had  was  the  natural 
production  of  the  country.  We  saw  here,  lying  in  a 
heap,  a  whole  hill  of  watermelons,  which  were  as 
large  as  pumpkins,  and  which  Symon  was  going  to  take 
to  the  city  to  sell.  They  were  very  good,  though  there 
is  a  difference  between  them  and  those  of  the  Caribly 
islands;  but  this  may  be  owing  to  its  being  late  in  the 
season,  and  these  were  the  last  pulling.  It  was  very 
late  at  night  when  we  went  to  rest  m  a  Kermis  bed,  as  it 
is  called,  in  the  corner  of  the  hearth,  along  side  of  a 
good  fire. 

30th,  Saturday.  Early  this  morning  the  husband  and  wife 
set  off  for  the  city  with  their  marketing ;  and  we,  having 
explored  the  land  in  the  vicinity,  left  after  breakfast.  We 


124 


NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


went  a  part  of  the  way  through  a  woods  and  fine,  new 
made  land,  and  so  along  the  shore  to  the  west  end  of  the 
island  called  Najack.1  As  we  proceeded  along  the  shore, 
we  found,  among  other  curiosities,  a  highly  marbled 
stone,  very  hard,  in  which  we  saw  Muscovy  glass  lying  in 
layers  hetween  the  clefts,  and  how  it  was  struck  or  cut  out. 
We  hrokc  off  a  small  piece  with  some  difficulty,  and  picked 
out  a  little  glass  in  the  splits.  Continuing  onward  from 
there,  we  came  to  the  plantation  of  the  JVajar/c  Indians, 
which  was  planted  with  maize,  or  Turkish  wheat.  We 
soon  heard  a  noise  of  pounding,  like  thrashing,  and  went 
to  the  place  whence  it  proceeded,  and  found  there  an  old 
Indian  woman  busily  employed  heating  Turkish  beans  out 
of  the  pods  by  means  of  a  stick,  which  she  did  with 
astonishing  force  and  dexterity.  Gerrit  inquired  of  her, 
in  the  Indian  language,  which  he  spoke  perfectly  well, 
how  old  she  was,  and  she  answered  eighty  years ;  at  which 
we  were  still  more  astonished  that  so  old  a  woman  should 
still  have  so  much  strength  and  courage  to  work  as  she 
did.  AVe  went  from  thence  to  her  habitation,  where  we 
found  the  wdiole  troop  together,  consisting  of  seven  or 
eight  families,  and  twenty  or  twenty-two  persons,  I  should 
think.  Their  house  was  low  and  long,  about  sixty  feet 
long  and  fourteen  or  fifteen  feet  wide.  The  bottom  was 
earth,  the  sides  and  roof  were  made  of  reed  and  the  bark 
of  chestnut  trees ;  the  posts,  or  columns,  were  limbs  of 
trees  stuck  in  the  ground,  and  all  fastened  together.  The 
top,  or  ridge  of  the  roof  was  open  about  half  a  foot  wide, 
from  one  end  to  the  other,  in  order  to  let  the  smoke  escape, 
in  place  of  a  chimney.  On  the  sides,  or  walls,  of  the  house, 
the  roof  was  so  low  that  you  could  hardly  stand  under  it. 
The  entrances,  or  doors,  which  were  at  both  ends,  were  so 


1Fort  Hamilton,  which  is  surrounded,  hi  a  great  measure,  by  a  marsh, 
and  hence  is  here  called  an  island. 


A  WIGWAM  AND  ITS  INTERIOR, 


125 


small  and  low  that  they  had  to  stoop  down  and  squeeze 
themselves  to  get  through  them.    The  doors  were  made  of 
reed  or  flat  hark.    In  the  whole  building  there  was  no 
lime,  stone,  iron  or  lead.    They  build  their  fire  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  floor,  according  to  the  number  of  families  which 
live  in  it,  so  that  from  one  end  to  the  other  each  of  them 
boils  its  own  pot,  and  eats  when  it  likes,  not  only  the 
families  by  themselves,  but  each  Indian  alone,  according  as 
he  is  hungry,  at  all  hours,  morning,  noon  and  night.  By 
each  fire  are  the  cooking  utensils,  consisting  of  a  pot,  a 
bowl,  or  calabash,  and  a  spoon  also  made  of  a  calabash. 
These  are  all  that  relate  to  cooking.     They  lie  upon  mats 
with  their  feet  towards  the  fire,  on  each  side  of  it.  They 
do  not  sit  much  upon  any  thing  raised  up,  but,  for  the 
most  part,  sit  on  the  ground  or  squat  on  their  ankles. 
Their  other  household  articles  consists  of  a  calabash  of 
water,  out  of  which  they  drink,  a  small  basket  in  which  to 
carry  and  keep  their  maize  and  small  beans,  and  a  knife. 
The  implements  are,  for  tillage,  a  small,  sharp  stone,  and 
nothing  more ;  for  hunting,  a  gun  and  pouch  for  powder 
and  lead ;  for  fishing,  a  canoe  without  mast  or  sail,  and 
without  a  nail  in  any  part  of  it,  though  it  is  sometimes 
full  forty  feet  in  length,  fish  hooks  and  lines,  and  scoops  to 
paddle  with  in  place  of  oars.    I  do  not  know  whether  there 
are  not  some  others  of  a  trifling  nature.    All  who  live  in 
one  house  are  generally  of  one  stock  or  descent,  as  father 
and  mother  with  their  offspring.    Their  bread  is  maize, 
pounded  in  a  block  by  a  stone,  but  not  fine.     This  is 
mixed  with  water,  and  made  into  a  cake,  which  they  bake 
under  the  hot  ashes.    They  gave  us  a  small  piece  when  we 
entered,  and  although  the  grains  were  not  ripe,  and  it  was 
half  baked  and  coarse  grains,  we  nevertheless  had  to  eat 
it,  or,  at  least,  not  throw  it  away  before  them,  which  they 
would  have  regarded  as  a  great  sin,  or  a  great  affront. 
We  chewed  a  little  of  it  with  long  teeth,  and  managed  to  hide 


120 


NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


it  so  they  did  not  see  it.  "We  had  also  to  driuk  out  of 
their  calabashes  the  water  which  was  their  drink,  and 
which  was  very  good.  We  saw  here  the  Indians  who 
came  on  board  the  ship  when  we  arrived.  They  were  all 
very  joyful  at  the  visit  of  our  Gerrit,  who  was  an  old 
acquaintance  of  theirs,  and  had  heretofore  long  resided 
about  there.  We  presented  them  with  two  jewsharpe, 
which  much  pleased  them,  and  they  immediately  com- 
menced to  play  upon  them,  which  the}'  could  do  tolerably 
well.  Home  of  their  jxitroons  (chiefs),  some  of  whom  spoke 
good  Dutch,  and  are  also  their  medicine-men  and  surgeons 
as  well  as  their  teachers,  were  busy  making  shoes  of  deer 
leather,  which  they  understand  how  to  make  soft  by  con- 
tinually working  it  in  their  hands.  They  had  dogs,  fowls 
and  hogs,  which  they  learn  by  degrees  from  the  Europeans 
how  to  manage  better.  They  had,  also,  peach  trees,  which 
were  well  laden.  Towards  the  last,  we  asked  them  for 
some  peaches,  and  they  answered :  "  Go  and  pick  them," 
which  showed  their  politeness.  However,  in  order  not  to 
offend  them,  we  went  off  and  pulled  some.  Although 
they  are  such  a  poor,  miserable  people,  they  are,  never- 
theless, licentious  and  proud,  and  given  to  knavery  and 
scoffing.  Seeing  a  very  old  woman  among  them,  we 
inquired  how  old  she  was,  when  some  young  fellows, 
laughing  and  jeering,  answered  twenty  years,  while  it 
w  as  evident  to  us  she  was  not  less  than  an  hundred.  We 
observed  here  the  manner  in  which  they  travel  with  their 
children,  a  woman  having  one  which  she  carried  on  her 
back.  The  little  tiling  clung1  tight  around  her  neck  like 
a  cat,  where  it  was  kept  secure  by  means  of  a  piece  of 
daffels,  their  usual  garment.  Its  head,  back  and  buttocks 
were  entirely  flat.  How  that  happened  to  be  so  we  will 
relate  hereafter,  as  we  now  only  make  mention  of  what 
we  saw. 

These  Indians  live  on  the  land  of  Jaques  (Cortelyou), 


JAQUES  CORTELYOU. 


127 


brother-in-law  of  Gerrit.1  He  bought  the  land  from  them 
in  the  first  instance,  and  then  let  them  have  a  small  corner, 
for  which  they  pay  him  twenty  bushels  of  maize  yearly, 
that  is,  ten  bags.  Jaques  had  first  bought  the  whole  of 
Najack  from  these  Indians,  who  were  the  lords  thereof,  and 
lived  upon  the  land,  which  is  a  large  place,  and  afterwards 
bought  it  again,  in  parcels.  He  was  unwilling  to  drive  the 
Indians  from  the  land,  and  has  therefore  left  them  a  corner 
of  it,  keeping  the  best  of  it  himself.2  We  arrived  then 
upon  this  land,  which  is  all  good,  and  yields  large  crops  of 
wheat  and  other  grain.  It  is  of  a  blackish  color,  but  not 
clayey,  and  almost  like  the  garden  mould  I  have  seen  in 
Holland.  At  length  we  reached  the  house,  where  we 
found  Mom.  Le  Grange,  who  had  come  there  in  search  of 
us,  to  inform  us  further  concerning  his  departure  for  the 
South  river,  and  to  take  us  to  his  house.  "We  spoke  to  him 
in  regard  to  this  and  other  matters,  as  was  proper,  and 
shortly  afterwards  he  left.     Jaques  is  a  man  advanced  in 


1  Jacques  Cortelyou  came  from  Utrecht  to  tins  country  in  15G2,  in  the 
quality  of  tutor  to  the  children  of  Cornelis  van  Werckhoven,  of  that  city, 
first  patentee  direct  from  the  West  India  company,  of  Nyack,  or  Fort 
Hamilton.  He  married  Neeltje  Van  Duyne,  and  died  about  1693.  The 
Indians  received  six  coats,  six  kettles,  six  axes,  six  chisels,  six  small 
looking-glasses,  twelve  knives  and  twelve  combs,  from  the  West  India 
company,  in  1645,  for  all  the  land  extending  along  the  bay,  from  Gowanus 
to  Coney  island,  embracing  the  present  town  of  New  Utrecht.  Van 
Werckhoven  went  to  Holland,  after  attempting  a  settlement  at  Nyack,  but 
with  the  intention  of  returning.  He  died  there,  however,  in  1655  ;  and 
Cortelyou,  who  remained  in  possession  of  Nyack  as  his  agent,  obtained 
permission,  in  1657,  from  the  director  and  council,  to  lay  out  on  the  tract, 
the  town  of  New  Utrecht,  so  named  in  compliment  to  the  birth-place  of 
Van  Werckhoven  —  N  Y.  Doc,  Hist.,  1,413 ;  0' Callaghan's  New  Netherlands 
II,  185;    Brodhead' s  New  York,  I,  410.    Bergen  Genealogy,  90. 

2  The  journalist,  as  we  have  seen,  mistakes  in  supposing  the  first  pur- 
chase of  Nyack  from  the  Indians  to  have  been  by  Cortelyou  ;  but  is 
probably  correct  in  stating  a  second  purchase  by  him,  which  might  have 
been  made  for  the  purpose  of  aiding  him  with  a  title  by  possession  against 
the  heirs  of  Van  Werckhoven,  M'ho  actually  did  subsequently  claim  this 
inheritance. 


128 


NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


years.  He  was  born  in  Utrecht,  but  of  French  parents,  as 
we  could  readily  discover  from  all  his  actions,  looks  and 
language.  He  had  studied  philosophy  in  his  youth,  and 
Bpoke  Latin  and  good  French.  He  was  a  mathematician 
and  sworn  land-surveyor.  He  had  also  formerly  learned 
several  sciences,  and  had  some  knowledge  of  medicine. 
The  worst  of  it  was,  he  was  a  good  Cartesian  and  not  a 
good  Christian,  regulating  himself,  and  all  externals,  by 
reason  and  justice  only;  nevertheless,  he  regulated  all 
things  better  by  these  principles  than  most  people  in  these 
porta  do,  who  bear  the  name  of  Christians  or  pious  per- 
sons. His  brother-in-law  and  ourselves  were  welcomed  by 
him  and  his  wife.  He  treated  us  with  every  civility, 
although  two  of  his  sons  being  sick,  and  he  very  much 
confined  in  attending  upon  them,  he  was  much  interrupted 
in  attending  to  us,  since  they  more  than  we  afflicted  his 
head  and  that  of  his  wife.  We  went  looking  around  the 
country,  and  towards  evening  came  to  the  village  of  New 
Utrecht,  so  named  by  him.  This  village  was  burned  down 
some  time  ago,  with  every  thing  about  it,  including  the 
house  of  this  man,  which  was  almost  an  half  an  hour 
distant  from  it.  Many  persons  were  impoverished  by  the 
fire.  It  was  now  almost  all  rebuilt,  and  many  good  stone 
houses  were  erected,  of  which  Jaques's  was  one,  where  we 
returned  by  another  road  to  spend  the  night.  After 
supper,  we  went  to  sleep  in  the  barn,  upon  some  straw 
spread  with  sheep-skins,  in  the  midst  of  the  continual 
grunting  of  hogs,  squealing  of  pigs,  bleating  and  cough- 
ing of  sheep,  barking  of  dogs,  crowing  of  cocks, 
cackling  of  hens,  and,  especially,  a  goodly  quantity  of 
fleas  and  vermin,  of  no  small  portion  of  which  we  were 
participants;  and  all  with  an  open  barn  door,  through 
which  a  fresh  northwest  wind  was  blowing.  Though  we 
could  not  sleep,  we  could  not  complain,  inasmuch  as  we 
had  the  same  quarters  and  kind  of  bed  that  their  own  son 


WILD  GRAPES.  FLATLANDS. 


129 


usually  had,  who  had  now  on  our  arrival  crept  in  the  straw 
behind  us. 

October  1st,  Sunday.  We  went,  this  morning,  on  a  tour 
of  observation  of  the  country  and  of  the  neighbors,  some  of 
whom  were  better  situated  than  others,  but  all  of  them  had 
more  or  less  children  sick  with  the  small  pox,  which,  next 
to  the  fever  and  ague,  is  the  most  prevalent  disease  in  these 
parts,  and  of  which  many  have  died.  We  went  into  one 
house  where  there  were  two  children  lying  dead  and 
unburied,  and  three  others  sick,  and  where  one  had  died 
the  week  before.  This  disease  was  more  fatal  this  year 
than  usual.  "We  spoke  to  these  afflicted  people  what  was 
suitable  and  they  could  bear. 

Finding  myself  afterwards  alone  upon  a  small  eminence, 
I  made  a  sketch,  as  well  as  I  could,  of  the  land  surrounding 
the  great  bay,  that  is,  Coney  island,  the  entrance  from  the 
sea,  Rensselaer's  hook,  and  so  further  to  the  right,  towards 
Kil  van  Kol. 

After  dinner  we  intended  to  leave  for  a  place  called  the 
bay,1  where  Jan  Theunissen,  our  fellow  passenger,  lived,  who 
had  made  us  great  promises  of  friendship ;  besides,  my 
companion  was  desirous,  as  they  said  there  would  be 
preaching,  to  hear  the  minister  of  the  island,  who  was  very 
zealous  and  a  great  Cocceian,  and,  perhaps,  a  Cartesian. 
But  Jaques  persuaded  us  from  it,  because  the  house  where 
Jan  Theunissen  lived  with  his  father  was  so  full  of  people 
on  Sundays,  who  came  from  all  directions  to  attend 
preaching,  that  you  could  scarcely  get  in  or  out.  As  the 
minister  was  not  in  the  village  where  he  dwelt,  he  remained 
over  with  many  other  persons ;  and  he  (Jaques)  said  he 
would  accompany  us  there  the  next  morning.  So  we  let  it 
pass,  and  took  another  walk  to  New  Utrecht,  where  we 
drank  some  good  beer  a  year  old,  and  coming  back  again 

1  Flatlands,  the  residence  of  Elbert  Elbertsen  Stoothoff,  the  father-in-law 
of  Jan  Theunissen. 

17 


130 


NEW  YOKK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


to  the  house,  indulged  in  peaches  on  the  road.  I  went 
along  the  shore  to  Coney  island,  which  is  separated  from 
Long  Island  only  by  a  creek,  and  around  the  point,  and  came 
inside  not  far  from  a  village  called  Oravesant,  and  again 
home.  We  discovered  on  the  road  several  kinds  of  grapes 
still  on  the  vines,  called  speck  (pork)  grapes,  which  are  not 
always  good,  and  these  were  not ;  although  they  were 
sweet  in  the  mouth  at  first,  they  made  it  disagreeable  and 
stinking.  The  small  blue  grapes  are  better,  and  their 
vines  grow  in  good  form.  Although  they  have  several 
times  attempted  to  plant  vineyards,  and  have  not  imme- 
diately succeeded,  they,  nevertheless,  have  not  abandoned 
the  hope  of  doing  so  by  and  by,  for  there  is  always  some 
encouragement,  although  they  have  not,  as  yet,  discovered 
the  cause  of  the  failure. 

2d,  Monday.  Having  slept  the  night  again  at  Nojack,  we 
four  went,  after  breakfast,  to  the  bay,  where  we  arrived 
about  ten  o'clock.  "We  did  not  find  Jan  Theunissen  at 
home,  as  he  had  driven  to  the  city  to  bring  his  goods  ;  but 
the  father  and  mother  bade  us  welcome,  and  took  us  around 
into  their  orchards  to  look  at  them.  My  comrade  spoke 
to  him  as  opportunity  offered  of  godly  things,  but  he 
seemed  to  be  a  little  disposed  to  play  the  part  of  a  religious 
and  wise  man,  and  he  defended  himself  and  the  evil  as 
much  as  he  could,  going  to  work  somewhat  coldly  with 
us.  We  took  the  time,  however,  to  go  around  and  see 
every  thing  thoroughly,  and  found  the  land,  in  general,  not 
so  good  as  that  at  Najack.  There  is  towards  the  sea,  a 
large  piece  of  low  flat  land  which  is  overflown  at  every 
tide,  like  the  Schorr  (marsh)  with  us,  miry  and  muddy  at 
the  bottom,  and  which  produces  a  species  of  hard  salt  grass 
or  reed  grass.  Such  a  place  they  call  valey1  and  mow  it 
for  hay,  which  cattle  would  rather  eat  than  fresh  hay  or 


Pronouncedly. 


SALT  MEADOW.  GRAVESEND. 


131 


grass.    It  is  so  hard  that  they  cannot  mow  it  with  a 
common  scythe,  like  ours,  but  must  have  the  English 
scythe  for  the  purpose.    Their  adjoining  corn  lands  are  dry 
and  barren  for  the  most  part.    Some  of  them  were  now 
entirely  covered  with  clover  in  blossom,  which  diffused  a 
sweet  odor  in  the  air  for  a  great  distance,  and  which  we 
discovered  in  the  atmosphere,  before  we  saw  the  fields. 
Behind  the  village,  inland,  are  their  meadows,  but  they 
also  were  now  arid.     All  the  land  from  the  bay  to 
H  Vlacke  Bos 1  is  low  and  level,  without  the  least  elevation. 
There  is  also  a  tract  which  is  somewhat  large,  of  a  kind  of 
heath,  on  which  sheep  could  graze,  though  we  saw  none 
upon  it.    This  meadow  (schorr),  like  all  the  others,  is  well 
provided  with  good  creeks  which  are  navigable  and  very 
serviceable  for  fisheries.    There  is  here  a  grist-mill  driven 
by  the  water  which  they  dam  up  in  the  creek ;  and  it  is 
hereabouts  they  go  mostly  to  shoot  snipe  and  wild  geese. 
In  the  middle  of  this  meadow  there  is  a  grove  into  which 
we  went,  and  within  which  there  was  a  good  vale  cleared 
off  and  planted.    On  our  return  from  this  ramble  we  found 
Jan  Theunissen  had  come  back  with  his  company.  He 
welcomed  us,  but  somewhat  coldly,  and  so  demeaned  him- 
self all  the  time  we  were  there,  as  to  astonish  my  comrade 
at  the  change,  but  not  me  entirely,  for  I  had  observed  this 
falling  off  while  we  were  yet  at  sea  and  were  approaching 
the  land  and  even  before  that,  and  had  remarked  it  to  my 
colleague,  but  he  had  more  confidence  in  him.    The  day 
having  been  thus  passed,  we  remained  here  for  the  night  to 
sleep.    In  the  evening  we  made  the  acquaintance  of  one 
Jean  Poppe,  formerly  a  skipper  in  the  "West  Indies,  whom 
I  had  known  when  I  lived  there.    He  did  not  know  me  by 
name  or  by  vocation,  but  only  that  I  lived  there,  and  had 
conversed  with  him  there,  but  not  much.    He  was  tired  of 


1  Flutbush. 


V.V1 


NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


the  sea,  and  not  having  accumulated  much,  lie  had  come 
to  settle  down  here,  making  hie  living  out  of  the  business 
of  a  turner,  hy  which  lie  could  live  bountifully. 

Zd,  Tuesday.  This  whole  day  it  did  nothing  except  rain, 
with  an  E.  and  E.  N.  E.  wind,  so  that  we  were  compelled 
to  sit  in  their  house,  as  in  a  prison  all  the  time ;  and  it  was 
so  much  the  worse  because  the  house  was  constantly  filled 
with  a  multitude  of  godless  people;  for  this  father  or  father- 
in-law  of  Jan  Theunissen,  being  the  principal  person  in 
the  place,  was  their  captain,  and  having  many  children  of 
his  own  besides,  there  was  a  continual  concourse  at  his 
house.  We  had  to  remain,  although  it  grieved  us  a  great 
deal.  lint  as  we  had  heard  that  there  was  an  Englishman 
residing  at  Gravesend,  named  Bowman,  who  went  every 
year  about  this  time  with  horses  and  sheep  to  the  South 
river,  and  would  probably  go  there  again  in  about  three 
weeks  time,  we  resolved,  when  the  rain  was  partly  over,  to 
go  and  talk  to  him,  which  we  did,  arriving  there  towards 
evening.  We  found  him  at  home,  and  inquired  of  him  as 
to  the  situation.  JIe  said,  he  intended  to  leave  in  fourteen 
days  or  at  the  longest  in  three  weeks,  with  horses,  and 
would  be  happy  to  have  our  company  on  the  road.  He 
told  us  several  things  touching  the  situation  of  the  South 
river,  where  he  had  a  large  tract  of  land  which  he  intended 
soon  to  put  under  cultivation.  It  being  evening,  and 
nearer  Jaques's  house  than  the  bay,  we  determined  to  go 
there  as  we  had  previously  intended.  Mr.  Bowman  had 
the  kindness  to  conduct  us  a  portion  of  the  way  so  that  we 
could  not  go  astray.  We  arrived  at  Jaques's  house,  where 
we  were  welcome.  The  land  around  Gravesend  is  also, 
flat,  but  not  so  flat  or  so  barren  as  in  the  bay,  and  yields 
good  crops. 

4th,-  Wednesday.  We  slept  for  the  night  in  our  old  place. 
In  the  morning  the  horses  were  harnessed  to  the  wagon  for 
the  purpose  of  carrying  us  to  the  city,  and  bringing  back 


A  MERCHANT.   A  SCHOOLMASTER. 


133 


some  medicines  which  had  arrived  for  him  (Jaques)  from 
Holland  in  our  ship.  We  breakfasted  to  our  full,  and  rode 
first  to  the  hay,  where  we  had  left  our  traveling  bag.  Seeing 
there  was  nothing  to  be  accomplished  with  our  Jan 
Thennissen,  all  his  great  promises  having  vanished  without 
the  least  result,  though  they  had  cost  us  dearly  enough,  we 
let  that  rest  quiet,  and  taking  our  leave,  rode  on  to 't  Vlacke 
Bos,  a  village  situated  about  an  hour  and  a  half's  distance 
from  there,  upon  the  same  plain,  which  is  very  large.  This 
village  seems  to  have  better  farms  than  the  bay,  and  yields 
full  as  much  revenue.  Riding  through  it,  we  came  to  the 
woods  and  the  hills,  which  are  very  stony  and  uncomfortable 
to  ride  over.  We  rode  over  them,  and  passed  through  the 
village  of  Breukelen  to  the  ferry,  and  leaving  the  wagon 
there,  we  crossed  over  the  river  and  arrived  at  home  at 
noon,  where  we  were  able  to  rest  a  little,  and  where  our 
old  people  were  glad  to  see  us.  We  sent  back  to  Jaques 
half  of  our  tincture  calimanaris,  and  half  of  our  balsam 
sulphureus  and  some  other  things.  He  had  been  of  service 
to  us  in  several  respects,  as  he  promised  to  be,  and  that 
with  perfect  willingness. 

5th,  Thursday.  We  remained  at  home  this  morning,  my 
comrade  having  been  a  little  indisposed  the  preceding  day 
and  night,  and  betook  ourselves  to  writing.  At  noon  we 
visited  Mons.  de  La  Grange,  who  was  busily  employed  in 
his  little  shop,  packing  and  marking  a  parcel  of  ribbons 
which  he  was  going  to  send  to  Barbadoes,  because,  as  he 
said,  he  could  not  dispose  of  them  here  to  advantage, 
that  is,  with  suflicient  profit.  We  let  him  first  finish  his 
work,  and  after  that  he  took  us  to  his  counting  room,  where 
his  wife  was.  We  did  not  fail  to  converse  kindly  with  him 
and  his  wife  in  relation  to  those  matters  in  which  we 
believed  they  were  sinning,  notwithstanding  all  the  little 
reasons  which  pious  people  of  that  description  are  accus- 
tomed to  advance  in  extenuation  of  their  sin  and  avarice. 


l.'!4 


NEAV  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


As  there  were  plenty  of  books  around,  my  comrade 
inquired  of*  him  what  book  lie  liked  or  esteemed  the  most. 
Upon  this  he  brought  forward  two  of  the  elder  Brakel,  one 
of  which  was,  De  Tragpen  des  Geestelycken  Leven  (the  gra- 
dations of  spiritual  life).1  He  also  took  down  another 
written  by  a  Scotchman,  of  whom  my  comrade  had  some 
knowledge,  and  translated  by  Domine  Koelman.  On  my 
return  home,  the  son  of  our  old  people  asked  me  if  I  would 
not  go  to  their  usual  catechizing,  which  they  held  once  a 
week  at  the  house  of  Abraham  Lanoy,  schoolmaster,  and 
brother  of  the  commissary  in  the  custom  house.  I 
accompanied  him  there,  and  found  a  company  of  about 
twenty-five  persons,  male  and  female,  but  mostly  young 
people.  It  looked  like  a  school,  as  indeed  it  was,  more 
than  an  assembly  of  persons  who  were  seeking  after  true 
godliness;  where  the  schoolmaster,  who  instructed  them, 
handled  the  subject  more  like  a  schoolmaster  in  the  midst 
of  his  scholars  than  a  person  who  knew  and  loved  God, 
and  sought  to  make  him  known  and  loved.  They  sung 
some  verses  from  the  psalms,  made  a  prayer,  and  questioned 
from  the  catechism,  at  the  conclusion  of  which  they  prayed 
and  sung  some  verses  from  the  psalms  again.  It  was  all 
performed  without  respect  or  reverence,  very  literally,  and 
mixed  up  with  much  obscurity  and  error.  He  played, 
however,  the  part  of  a  learned  and  pious  man,  enfn  le 
suffisant  et  le  petit  prccheur.  After  their  departure,  I  had  an 
opportunity  of  speaking  to  him  and  telling  him  what  I 
thought  was  good  for  him.    He  acknowledged  that  I  con- 


1  By  Theodorus  a-Brakel,  father  of  the  more  distinguished  divine, 
William  a-Brakel.  He  was  descended  from  Roman  Catholic  stock  in  the 
province  of  Brabant,  but  was  born  at  Enkhuisen  in  North  Holland  in 
1608.  He  was  educated  at  Franeker,  and  called  to  minister  first  at  Beers 
in  Fricsland,  then  at  the  Burgh  on  the  island  of  Texel,  and  finally  at 
Makkum,  where  he  died  in  1G99.  Like  his  son  he  was  in  strict  orthodox}7 
with  the  Reformed  church  of  Holland. —  Kok.    Vad.  Hist. 


MANHATTAN  ISLAND. 


135 


vineed  him  of  several  things;  and  thus  leaving  him  I 
returned  home. 

6th,  Friday.  "We  remained  in  the  house  during  the  fore- 
noon, hut  after  having  dined  we  went  out  ahouttwo  o'clock 
to  explore  the  island  of  Manathans.  This  island  runs  east 
and  west,  or  somewhat  more  northerly.  On  the  north  side 
of  it  is  the  North  river,  hy  which  it  is  separated  from  the 
main  land  on  the  north ;  on  the  east  end  it  is  separated 
from  the  main  land  by  a  creek,  or  rather  a  branch  of  the 
North  river,  emptying  itself  into  the  East  river.  They  can 
go  over  this  creek  at  dead  low  water,  upon  rocks  and  reefs, 
at  the  place  called  Spyt  den  dwjvcl.  This  creek  coming  into 
the  East  river  forms  with  it  the  two  Barents  islands}  At 
the  west  end  of  these  two  running  waters,  that  is,  where 
they  come  together  to  the  east  of  these  islands,  they 
make,  with  the  rocks  and  reefs,  such  a  frightful  eddy  and 
whirlpool  that  it  is  exceedingly  dangerous  to  pass  through 
them,  especially  with  small  boats,  of  which  there  are  some 
lost  every  now  and  then,  and  the  persons  in  them  drowned; 
but  experience  has  taught  men  the  way  of  passing  through 
them  with  less  danger.  Large  vessels  have  always  less 
danger  because  they  are  not  capable  of  being  carried  along 
so  quickly.  There  are  two  places  where  such  whirling  of 
the  stream  occurs,  which  are  on  account  of  the  danger  and 
frightfulness  called  the  Great  and  Little  Hellgate.  After 
these  two  streams  are  united,  the  island  of  Manathans  is 
separated  on  the  south  from  Long  Island  by  the  East  river, 
which,  beginning  at  the  bay  before  New  York,  runs  east- 
wardly,  after  forming  several  islands,  again  into  the  sea. 
This  island  is  about  seven  hours'  distance  in  length,  but  it 
is  not  a  full  hour  broad.  The  sides  are  indented  with  bays, 
coves  and  creeks.  It  is  almost  entirely  taken  up,  that  is, 
the  land  is  held  by  private  owners,  but  not  half  of  it  is 


1  Now  called  Great  and  Little  Barn  islands. 


13G 


NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


cultivated.  Much  of  it  is  good  wood  laud.  The  went  end 
on  which  the  city  lies,  is  entirely  cleared  for  more  than  an 
hour's  distance,  though  that  is  the  poorest  ground  ;  the  best 
being  on  the  east  and  north  side.  There  are  many 
brooks  of  fresh  water  running  through  it,  pleasant  and 
proper  for  man  and  beast  to  drink,  as  well  as  agreeable  to 
behold,  affording  cool  and  pleasant  resting  places,  but 
especially  suitable  places  for  the  construction  of  mills,  for 
although  there  is  no  overflow  of  water,  yet  it  can  be  shut 
off  and  so  used.  A  little  eastward  of  Nieu  Haerlem  there 
are  two  ridges  of  very  high  rocks,  with  a  considerable  space 
between  them,  displaying  themselves  very  majestically, 
and  inviting  all  men  to  acknowledge  in  them  the  majesty, 
grandeur,  power  and  glory  of  their  creator,  who  has 
impressed  such  marks  upon  them.  Between  them  runs 
the  road  to  Spyt  den  dwjvd.  The  one  to  the  north  is  most 
apparent;  the  south  ridge  is  covered  with  earth  on  its 
north  side,  but  it  can  be  seen  from  the  water  or  from  the 
main  laud  beyond  to  the  south.  The  soil  between  these 
ridges  is  very  good,  though  a  little  hilly  and  stony,  and 
would  be  very  suitable  in  my  opinion  for  planting  vineyards, 
in  consequence  of  its  being  shut  off  on  both  sides  from  the 
winds  which  would  most  injure  them,  and  is  very  warm. 
We  found  blue  grapes  along  the  road  which  were  very  good 
and  sweet,  and  as  good  as  any  I  have  tasted  in  the  Father- 
land. 

We  went  from  the  city,  following  the  Broadway,  over 
the  valcy,  or  the  fresh  water.  Upon  both  sides  of  this  way 
were  many  habitations  of  negroes,  mulattoes  and  whites. 
These  negroes  were  formerly  the  proper  slaves  of  the 
(West  India)  company,  but,  in  consequence  of  the  frequent 
changes  and  conquests  of  the  country,  they  have  obtained 
their  freedom  and  settled  themselves  down  where  they 
have  thought  proper,  and  thus  on  this  road,  where  they 
have  ground  enough  to  live  on  with  their  families.  We 


CAPT.  JAMES  CARTERET. 


137 


left  the  village,  called  the  Boiaccrij,  lying  on  the  right  hand, 
and  went  through  the  woods  to  New  Harlem,  a  tolerably 
large  village  situated  on  the  south  side  of  the  island,  directly 
opposite  the  place  where  the  northeast  creek  and  the  East 
river  come  together,  situated  about  three  hours  journey 
from  New  Amsterdam,  like  as  old  Harlem,  in  Europe,  is 
situated  about  three  hours  distance  from  old  Amsterdam. 
As  our  guide,  Gerrit,  had  some  business  here,  and  found 
many  acquaintances,  we  remained  over  night  at  the  house 
of  one  Geresolveert,1  scout  (sheriff  or  constable),  of  the 
place,  who  had  formerly  lived  in  Brazil,  and  whose  heart 
was  still  full  of  it.  This  house  was  constantly  filled 
with  people,  all  the  time  chinking,  for  the  most  part,  that 
execrable  rum.  He  had  also  the  best  cider  we  have 
tasted.  Among  the  crowd  we  found  a  person  of  quality, 
an  Englishman,  named  Captain  Carteret,  whose  father  is 
in  great  favor  with  the  king,  and  he  himself  had  assisted 
in  several  exploits  in  the  king's  service.  He  was  adminis- 
trator, or  captain  general,  of  the  English  forces  which 
went,  in  1660,  to  retake  St.  Kitts,  which  the  French  had 
entirely  conquered,  and  were  repulsed.  He  had  also  filled 
some  high  office,  during  the  war,  in  the  ship  of  the  Duke 
of  York,  with  two  hundred  infantry  under  his  command. 
The  king  has  given  to  his  father,  Sir  (George)  Carteret,  the 
entire  government  of  the  lands  west  of  the  North  river,  in 
New  Netherland,  with  power  to  appoint  as  governor  whom 
he  pleases ;  and  at  this  present  time  there  is  a  governor 
over  it,  by  his  appointment,  another  Carteret,  his  nephew, 
I  believe,  who  resides  at  Elizabethtown,  in  New  Jersey.2 

1  Resolved,  a  christian  name. 

2  Philip  Carteret,  the  brother,  not  the  nephew,  of  Sir  George,  is  the 
person  here  meant.  He  was  appointed  governor  of  New  Jersey  under  the 
joint  proprietorship  of  Lord  Berkeley  and  Sir  George  Carteret,  in  1GG4, 
and  of  East  Jersey  in  1G74,  under  the  sole  grant  to  Sir  George.  He 
resigned  in  1082,  and  died  in  December  of  that  year,  in  this  country, 

18 


138 


NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


From  this  Carteret,  in  England,  the  quakers  have  purchased 
the  privilege  of  a  government  of  their  own,  over  a  large 
tract  of  territory  which  they  have  hought  and  settled 
within  his  dominion;  and  it  is  hut  little  different  from 
their  having  hought  the  entire  right  of  government  of  the 
whole  of  hi.-  land.  This  son  is  a  very  profligate  person. 
He  married  a  merchant's  daughter  here,  and  has  so  lived 
with  his  wife  that  her  father  has  hcen  compelled  to  take 
her  home  again.  He  rune  ahout  among  the  farmers, 
and  stays  where  he  can  find  most  to  drink,  and  sleeps  in 
bams  on  the  straw.  If  he  conducted  himself  properly,  he 
could  be  not  only  governor  here,  hut  hold  higher  positions, 
for  he  has  studied  the  moralities,  and  seems  to  have  been 
of  a  good  understanding;  but  that  is  all  now  drowned. 
His  father,  who  will  not  acknowledge  him  as  his  son,  as 
before,  allows  him  yearly  as  much  only  as  is  necessary  for 
him  to  live.1 

7ih,  Saturday.  This  morning,  about  half-past  six,  we  set 
out  from  the  village,  in  order  to  go  to  the  end  of  the  island  ; 
but  before  we  left  we  did  not  omit  supplying  ourselves 
with  peaches  which  grew  in  an  orchard  along  the  road. 
The  whole  ground  was  covered  with  them  and  with 
apples,  lying  upon  the  new  grain  with  which  the  orchard 
was  planted.  The  peaches  were  the  most  delicious  we 
had  yet  eaten.  We  proceeded  on  our  way,  and  when  we 
were  not  far  from  the  point  of  Spyt  den  duyvel,  we  could  see 
on  our  left  hand  the  rocky  cliffs  of  the  main  land  on  the 

leaving  a  widow,  the  daughter  of  Richard  Smith,  of  Sinithtown,  on  Long 
island.  —  Whitclvead's  East  Jersey  under  the  Proprietors,  36,  84 

1  Captain  James  Cartaret,  here  described,  was  an  illegitimate  son  of  Sir 
George.  He  was  chosen  governor  of  East  Jersey,  in  1672,  by  the 
deputies  of  the  disaffected  inhabitants  of  Middletown  and  other  towns, 
which  resisted  the  payment  of  rent  to  the  co-proprietors.  He  enjoyed  this 
barren  honor  only  a  short  time,  as  the  opposition  was  completely  overcome 
in  the  following  year.  The  mention  of  him  in  this  journal  seems  to  be  the 
only  account  of  him  afterwards.  —  Whiteheads  East  Jersey,  &c,  55,  58. 


SPUYT  DEN  DUYVEL.    SAPOKANIKKE.  139 


other  side  of  the  North  river,  these  cliffs  standing  straight  up 
and  down,  with  the  grain,  just  as  if  they  were  antimony. 
"We  crossed  over  the  Spyt  den  dui/vel  in  a  canoe,  and  paid 
nine  stuivers  fare  for  us  three,  which  was  very  dear.  We 
followed  the  opposite  side  of  the  land,  and  came  to  the 
house  of  one  Valentyn,  a  great  acquaintance  of  our  Gerrit. 
He  had  gone  to  the  city,  but  his  wife,  though  she  did  not 
know  Gerrit  or  us,  was  so  much  rejoiced  to  see  Hollanders, 
that  she  hardly  knew  what  to  do  for  us.  She  set  before 
us  what  she  had.  We  left  after  breakfasting  there.  Her 
son  showed  us  the  way,  and  we  came  to  a  road  which  was 
entirely  covered  with  peaches.  We  asked  the  boy  why  they 
left  them  lie  there,  and  they  did  not  let  the  hogs  eat  them. 
He  answered,  we  do  not  know  what  to  do  with  them,  there 
are  so  many;  the  hogs  are  satiated  with  them  and  will  not 
eat  any  more.  From  this  we  may  judge  of  the  quantity 
of  them.  We  pursued  our  way  now  a  small  distance 
through  the  woods  and  over  the  hills,  then  back  again 
along  the  shore  to  a  point,  where  one  Webblingk,  an 
Englishman,  lived,  who  was  standing  ready  to  cross  over. 
He  carried  us  over  with  him,  and  refused  to  take  any  pay 
for  our  passage,  offering  us  at  the  same  time  some  of  his 
rum,  a  liquor  which  is  everywhere.  We  were  now  again  at 
New  Harlem,  and  dined  with  Geresolveert,  at  whose  house 
we  slept  the  night  before,  and  who  made  us  welcome.  It  was 
now  two  o'clock ;  and  leaving  there,  we  crossed  over  the 
island,  which  takes  about  three  quarters  of  an  hour  to  do, 
and  came  to  the  North  river,  which  we  followed  a  little 
within  the  woods,  to  Sappokanikke1.  Gerrit  having  a  sister 
and  friends  there  we  rested  ourselves,  and  drank  some 
good  beer,  which  refreshed  us.  We  continued  along  the 
shore  to  the  city,  where  we  arrived  in  an  hour  in  the 

1  According  to  Judge  Benson  this  was  the  Indian  name  of  the  point, 
afterwards  known  as  Greenwich,  on  the  north  side  of  the  city. — New  York 
Historical  Oolledtions,  second  series,  84. 


140 


NEW  YOKK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


evening,  very  much  fatigued,  having  walked  this  day 
about  forty  miles.  I  must  add,  in  passing  through  this 
island  we  sometimes  encountered  such  a  sweet  smell  in  the 
air  that  we  stood  still,  because  we  did  not  know  what  it 
was  we  were  meeting. 

8///,  Sunday.  We  staid  home  this  morning  for  the  purpose 
of  writing  and  resting  ourselves.  Gerrit  requested  me  to 
shave  him,  as  did  also  an  old  countryman  of  A7 reshirk  who 
lodged  at  our  house,  which  was  the  first  time  in  my  life 
that  I  had  ever  shaved  any  one.  It  afforded  us  an  oppor- 
tunity of  speaking  to  this  countryman  about  various 
matters  touching  the  country.  We  intended  in  the  after- 
noon to  attend  the  English  service,  but,  on  going  to  the 
fort,  the  sentinel  told  us  there  was  no  English  preaching  in 
the  afternoon,  and  we  returned  home. 

9th,  Mmdtty.  We  remained  at  home  to-day,  except  I 
went  out  to  ascertain  whether  there  was  any  way  of  going 
over  to  Staten  island.  Meanwhile  we  began  to  dispose  of 
some  of  our  large  merchandise.  Gerrit  went  out  to 
S'i,,nl:ari,  to  do  some  carpenter's  work.  We  tasted  to-day 
some  very  fine  grapes. 

10th,  Tuesday.  Finding  no  opportunity  of  going  to  Staten 
island,  we  asked  our  old  friend  Symon,  who  had  come  over 
from  Goiianes,  what  was  the  best  way  for  us  to  get  there, 
when  he  offered  us  his  services  to  take  us  over  in  his  skiff, 
which  we  accepted;  and  at  dusk  accompanied  him  in  his 
boat  to  Gouanes,  where  we  arrived  about  eight  o'clock,  and 
where  he  welcomed  us  and  entertained  us  well. 

11th,  Wednesday.  We  embarked  early  this  morning  in 
his  boat  and  rowed  over  to  Staten  island,  where  we  arrived 
about  eight  o'clock.  He  left  us  there,  and  we  went  on  our 
way.  This  island  is  about  thirty-two  miles  long  and  four 
broad.  Its  sides  are  very  irregular,  with  projecting  points 
and  indented  bays,  and  creeks  running  deep  into  the 
countiy.    It  lies  for  the  most  part  east  and  west,  and  is 


STATEN  ISLAND. 


141 


somewhat  triangular.  The  most  prominent  point  is  to  the 
west.  On  the  east  side  is  the  narrow  passage  which  they 
call  the  channel,  by  which  it  is  separated  from  the  high 
point  of  Long  Island.  On  the  south  is  the  great  bay  which 
is  inclosed  by  Nayaq,  f  Conijnen  island,  Rentsclaer's  Hook, 
Nevesinck,  &c.  On  the  west  is  the  Bantam.  On  the  north 
or  northwest  is  New  Jersey,  from  which  it  is  separated  by 
a  larsre  creek  or  arm  of  the  river,  called  Kil  van  koL  The 
eastern  part  is  high  and  steep,  and  has  few  inhabitants.  It 
is  the  usual  place  where  ships,  ready  for  sea,  stop  to  take 
in  water,  while  the  captain  and  passengers  are  engaged  in 
making  their  own  arrangements  and  writing  letters  previous 
to  their  departure.  The  whole  south  side  is  a  large  plain, 
with  much  salt  meadow  or  marsh,  and  several  creeks.  The 
west  point  is  flat,  and  on  or  around  it  is  a  large  creek  with 
much  marsh ;  but  to  the  north  of  this  creek  it  is  high  and 
hilly,  and  beyond  that  it  begins  to  be  more  level,  but  not 
so  low  as  on  the  other  side,  and  is  well  populated.  On  the 
northwest  it  is  well  provided  with  creeks  and  marshes,  and 
the  land  is  generally  better  than  on  the  south  side,  although 
there  is  a  good  parcel  of  land  in  the  middle  of  the  latter. 
As  regards  the  middle  or  most  hilly  part  of  the  island,  it  is 
uninhabited,  although  the  soil  is  better  than  the  land 
around  it ;  but,  in  consequence  of  its  being  away  from  the 
water,  and  lying  so  high,  no  one  will  live  there,  the  creeks 
and  rivers  being  so  serviceable  to  them  in  enabling  them 
to  go  to  the  city,  and  for  fishing  and  catching  oysters,  and 
for  being  near  the  salt  meadows.  The  woods  are  used  for 
pasturing  horses  and  cattle,  for  being  an  island,  none  of 
them  can  get  off".  Each  person  has  marks  upon  his  own 
by  which  he  can  find  them  when  he  wants  them.  When 
the  population  of  the  country  shall  increase,  these  places 
will  be  taken  up.  Game  of  all  kinds  is  plenty,  and  twenty- 
five  and  thirty  deer  are  sometimes  seen  in  a  herd.  A  boy 
who  came  in-  a  house  where  we  were,  told  us  he  had  shot 


142 


NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


ten  the  last  winter  himself,  and  more  than  forty  in  his  life, 
and  in  the  same  manner  other  game.    We  tasted  here  the 
best  grapes.    There  are  now  ahout  a  hundred  families  on 
the  island,  of  which  the  English  constitute  the  least  portion, 
and  the  Dutch  and  French  divide  hetween  them  about 
equally  the  greater  portion.    They  have  neither  church  nor 
minister,  and  live  rather  far  from  each  other,  and  incon- 
veniently to  meet  together.    The  English  are  less  disposed 
to  religion,  and  inquire  little  after  it,  but  in  case  there  were 
a  minister,  would  contribute  to  his  support.    The  French 
and  Dutch  are  very  desirous  and  eager  for  one,  for  they 
spoke  of  it  wherever  we  went,  and  said,  in  the  event  of 
not  obtaining  Domine  Tessemaker,  they  would  send,  or 
had  sent,  to  France  for  another.    The  French  are  good 
Reformed  churchmen,  and  some  of  them  are  Walloons. 
The  Dutch  are  also  from  different  quarters. 

We  reached  the  island,  as  I  have  said,  about  nine  o'clock, 
directly  opposite  Gouanes,  not  far  from  the  watering  place. 
We  proceeded  southwardly  along  the  shore  of  the  high 
land  on  the  east  end,  where  it  was  sometimes  stony  and 
rocky,  and  sometimes  sandy,  supplied  with  fine  constantly- 
flowing  springs  with  which  at  times  we  quenched  our 
thirst.    We  had  now  come  nearly  to  the  furthest  point  on 
the  southeast,  behind  which  I  had  observed  several  houses 
when  we  came  in  with  the  ship.    We  had  also  made  inquiry 
as  to  the  villages  through  which  we  would  have  to  pass, 
and  they  had  told  us  the  Chide.  Doiy  would  be  the  first  one 
we  would  come  to;  but  my  comrade  finding  the  point  very 
rocky  and  difficult,  and  believing  the  village  was  inland, 
and  as  we  discovered  no  path  to  follow,  we  determined  to 
clamber  to  the  top  of  this  steep  bluff,  through  the  bushes 
and  thickets,  which  we  accomplished  with  great  difficulty 
and  in  a  perspiration.    We  found  as  little  of  a  road  above 
as  below,  and  nothing  but  woods,  through  which  one  could 
not  see.    There  appeared  to  be  a  little  foot-path  along  the 


OLD  DORP.   NEW  DORP. 


143 


edge  which  I  followed  a  short  distance  to  the  side  of  the 
point,  hut  my  comrade  calling  me  and  saying  that  he  cer- 
tainly thought  we  had  passed  by  the  road  to  the  Oude  Dorp, 
and  observing  myself  that  the  little  path  led  down  to  the 
point,  I  returned  again,  and  we  followed  it  the  other  way, 
which  led  us  back  to  the  place  from  where  we  started. 
We  supposed  we  ought  to  go  from  the  shore  in  order  to 
find  the  road  to  the  Oude  Dorp,  and  seeing  here  these  slight 
tracks  into  the  woods,  we  followed  them  as  far  as  we  could, 
till  at  last  they  ran  to  nothing  else  than  dry  leaves.  Having 
wandered  an  hour  or  more  in  the  woods,  now  in  a  hollow 
and  then  over  a  hill,  at  one  time  through .  a  swamp,  at 
another  across  a  brook,  without  finding  any  road  or  path, 
we  entirely  lost  the  way.  "We  could  see  nothing  except  a 
little  of  the  sky  through  the  thick  branches  of  the  trees 
above  our  heads,  and  we  thought  it  best  to  break  out  of 
the  woods  entirely  and  regain  the  shore.  I  had  taken  an 
observation  of  the  shore  and  point,  having  been  able  to 
look  at  the  sun,  which  shone  extraordinarily  hot  in  the 
thick  woods,  without  the  least  breath  of  air  stirring.  We 
made  our  way  at  last  as  well  as  we  could  out  of  the  woods, 
and  struck  the  shore  a  quarter  of  an  hour's  distance  from 
where  we  began  to  climb  up.  We  were  rejoiced,  as  there 
was  a  house  not  far  from  the  place  where  we  came  out. 
We  went  to  it  to  see  if  we  could  find  any  one  who  would 
show  us  the  way  a  little.  There  was  no  master  in  it,  but 
an  Englishwoman  with  negroes  and  servants.  We  first 
asked  her  as  to  the  road,  and  then  for  something  to  drink, 
and  also  for  some  one  to  show  us  the  road ;  but  she  refused 
the  last,  although  we  were  willing  to  pay  for  it.  She 
was  a  cross  woman.  She  said  she  had  never  been  in  the 
village,  and  her  folks  must  work,  and  we  would  certainly 
have  to  go  away  as  wise  as  we  came.  She  said,  however, 
we  must  follow  the  shore,  as  we  did.  We  went  now  over 
the  rocky  point,  which  we  were  no  sooner  over  than  we 


144  NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 

saw  a  pretty  little  sand  bay,  and  a  small  creek,  and  not 
far  from  there,  cattle  and  houses.    We  also  saw  the  point  to 
which  the  little  path  led  from  the  hill  above,  where  I  was 
when  my  comrade  called  me.    We  would  not  have  had 
more  than  three  hundred  steps  to  go  to  have  been  where 
we  now  were.    It  was  very  hot,  and  we  perspired  a  great 
deal.    We  went  on  to  the  little  creek  to  sit  down  and  rest 
ourselves  there,  and  to  cool  our  feet,  and  then  proceeded 
to  the  houses  which  constituted  the  Oude  Dorp.    It  was 
now  about  two  o'clock.    There  were  seven  houses,  but 
only  three  in  which  any  body  lived.    The  others  were 
abandoned,  and  their  owners  had  gone  to  live  on  better 
places  on  the  island,  because  the  ground  around  this  village 
was  worn  out  and  barren,  and  also  too  limited  for  their  use. 
We  went  into  the  first  house  which  was  inhabited  by 
English,  and  there  rested  ourselves  and  eat,  and  inquired 
further  after  the  road.    The  woman  was  cross,  and  her 
husband  not  much  better.    We  had  to  pay  here  for  what 
we  eat  which  we  had  not  done  before.    We  paid  three 
o-uilders  in  zeewan,  although  we  only  drank  water.  AVe 
proceeded  by  a  tolerably  good  road  to  the  Nieuwe  Dorp,  but 
as  the  road  ran  continually  in  the  woods,  we  got  astray 
a-ain  in  them.    It  was  dark,  and  we  were  compelled  to 
break  our  way  out  through  the  woods  and  thickets,  and 
we  went  a  great  distance  before  we  succeeded,  when  it 
was  almost  entirely  dark.    We  saw  a  house  at  a  distance 
to  which  we  directed  ourselves  across  the  bushes.    It  was 
the  first  house  of  the  Nieuwe  Dorp.    We  found  there  an 
Englishman  who  could  speak  Dutch,  and  who  received  us 
very  cordially  into  his  house,  where  we  had  as  good  as  he 
and  his  wife  had.    She  was  a  Dutch  woman  from  the 
3Ianhatans,  who  was  glad  to  have  us  in  her  house. 

1-Vh  Thursday.  Although  we  had  not  slept  well,  we  had 
to  resume  our  journey  with  the  day.  The  man  where  we 
slept  set  us  on  the  road.    We  had  now  no  more  villages  to 


WESTFIELD.   HUGUENOTS.  145 

go  to,  but  went  from  one  plantation  to  another,  for  the  most 
part  belonging  to  French,  who  showed  us  every  kindness 
because  we  conversed  with  them  in  French,  and  spoke  of 
the  ways  of  the  Lord  according  to  their  condition.  About 
one-third  part  of  the  distance  from  the  south  side  to  the 
west  end  is  still  all  woods,  and  is  very  little  visited.  "We 
had  to  go  along  the  shore,  finding  sometimes  fine  creeks 
well  provided  with  wild  turkeys,  geese,  snipes  and  wood 
hens.  Lying  rotting  upon  the  shore  were  thousands  of  fish 
called  marsbancken,  which  are  about  the  size  of  a  common 
carp.  These  fish  swim  close  together  in  large  schools,  and 
are  pursued  so  by  other  fish  that  they  are  forced  upon  the 
shore  in  order  to  avoid  the  mouths  of  their  enemies,  and 
when  the  water  falls  they  are  left  there  to  die,  food  for  the 
eagles  and  other  birds  of  prey.  Proceeding  thus  along  we 
came  to  the  "West  point  where  an  Englishman  lived  alone 
some  distance  from  the  road.  We  eat  something  here, 
and  he  gave  us  the  consolation  that  we  would  have  a  very 
bad  road  for  two  or  three  hours  ahead,  which  indeed  we 
experienced,  for  there  was  neither  path  nor  road.  He 
showed  us  as  well  as  he  could.  There  was  a  large  creek 
to  cross  which  ran  very  far  into  the  land,  and  when  we 
should  get  on  the  other  side  of  it,  we  must,  he  said,  go 
outward  again  along  (the  shore).  After  we  had  gone  a 
piece  of  the  way  through  the  woods,  we  came  to  a  valley 
with  a  brook  running  through  it,  which  we  took  to  be  the 
creek  or  the  end  of  it.  We  turned  round  it  as  short  as  we 
could,  in  order  to  go  back  again  to  the  shore,  which  we 
reached  after  wandering  a  long  time  over  hill  and  dale, 
when  we  saw  the  creek,  which  we  supposed  we  had  crossed, 
now  just  before  us.  We  followed  the  side  of  it  deep  into 
the  woods,  and  when  we  arrived  at  the  end  of  it  saw  no 
path  along  the  other  side  to  get  outwards  again,  but  the 
road  ran  into  the  woods  in  order  to  cut  off"  a  point  of  the 
hills  and  land.  "We  pursued  this  road  for  some  time,  but . 
19 


146 


NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


saw  no  mode  of  getting  out,  and  that  it  led  further  and 
further  from  the  creek.  We,  therefore,  left  the  road  and 
went  across  through  the  hushes,  so  as  to  reach  the  shore 
by  the  nearest  route  according  to  our  calculation.  After 
continuing  this  course  ahout  an  hour,  we  saw  at  a  distance 
a  miserably  constructed  tabernacle  of  pieces  of  wood 
covered  with  brush,  all  open  in  front,  and  where  we  thought 
there  were  Indians;  but  on  coming  up  to  it  we  found  in  it 
an  Englishman  sick,  and  his  wife  and  child  lying  upon 
some  bushes  by  a  little  fire.  We  asked  him  if  he  were 
sick.  "  Do  you  ask  me  whether  I  am  sick  ?  I  have  been 
sick  here  over  two  months,"  he  replied.  It  made  my  heart 
sore  indeed,  for  I  had  never  in  all  my  life  seen  such  poverty, 
and  that,  too,  in  the  middle  of  a  woods  and  a  wilderness. 
After  we  obtained  some  information  as  to  the  way,  we  went 
on,  and  had  not  gone  far  before  we  came  to  another  house, 
and  thus  from  one  farm  to  another,  French,  Dutch  and  a 
few  English,  so  that  we  had  not  wandered  very  tar  out  of 
the  way.  We  inquired  at  each  house  the  way  to  the  next 
one.  Shortly  before  evening  we  arrived  at  the  plantation 
of  a  Frenchman,  whom  they  called  Le  Chvadronnier  (the 
coppersmith),  who  was  formerly  a  soldier  under  the  Prince 
of  Orange,  and  had  served  in  Brazil.  He  was  so  delighted, 
and  held  on  to  us  so  hard,  that  we  remained  and  spent  the 
night  with  him. 

13th,  Friday.  We  pursued  our  journey  this  morning 
from  plantation  to  plantation,  the  same  as  yesterday,  until 
we  came  to  that  of  Pierre  le  Gardmier,  who  had  been  a 
gardener  of  the  Prince  of  Orange,  and  had  known  him  well. 
He  had  a  large  family  of  children  and  grand-children.  He 
was  about  seventy  years  of  age,  and  was  still  as  fresh  and 
active  as  a  young  person.  He  was  so  glad  to  see  strangers 
who  conversed  with  him  and  his  in  the  French  language 
about  the  good,  that  he  leaped  for  joy.    After  we  had 


FRESHKILLS.  ELIZABETHTOWN.  MR.  WOOLEY.  147 


breakfasted  here  they  told  us  that  we  had  another  large 
creek  to  pass  called  the  Fresh  kil,  and  there  we  could  per- 
haps be  set  across  the  Kil  van  Kol  to  the  point  of  Mill  creek, 
where  we  might  wait  for  a  boat  to  convey  as  to  the  Man- 
hatans.  The  road  was  long  and  difficult,  and  we  asked  for 
a  guide,  but  he  had  no  one,  in  consequence  of  several  of 
his  children  being  sick.  At  last  he  determined  to  go  him- 
self, and  accordingly  carried  us  in  his  canoe  over  to  the 
point  of  Mill  creek  in  New  Jersey  behind  Kol  {achter  Kol)} 
We  learned  immediately  that  there  was  a  boat  up  this  creek 
loading  with  brick,  and  would  leave  that  night  for  the  city. 
After  we  had  thanked  and  parted  with  Pierre  le  Gardinier, 
we  determined  to  walk  to  Elizabethtown,  a  good  half 
hour's  distance  inland,  where  the  boat  was.  From  the 
point  to  this  village  there  is  a  fine  wagon  road,  but  nowhere 
in  the  country  had  we  been  so  pestered  with  mosquitos 
(muggen)  as  we  were  on  this  road.  The  land  about  here  is 
very  poor,  and  is  not  well  peopled.  "We  found  the  boat, 
and  spoke  to  the  captain  who  left  about  two  hours  after- 
wards ;  but  as  the  wind  was  against  going  out  of  the  creek, 
he  lay  by  and  waited  for  the  tide.  We  returned  by 
evening  to  the  point  where  we  were  to  stay  until  morning. 
There  was  a  tavern  on  it,  kept  by  French  papists,  who  at 
once  took  us  to  be  priests,  and  so  conducted  themselves 
towards  us  in  every  respect  accordingly,  although  we  told 
them  and  protested  otherwise.  As  there  was  nothing  to 
be  said  further  we  remained  so  in  their  imaginations  to 
the  last,  as  shown  both  in  their  words  and  actions,  the  more 

1 "  En  bracht  ons  met  syn  canoo  tot  op  de  lioeck  van  de  molen  Ml  aen  Nieu 
Jarnesee  achter  kol."  The  term  achter  kol,  literally  behind  kol,  that  is,  back 
of  the  kol,  a  name  given  to  the  river  or  kil  between  Staten  island  and  the 
main  land  from  its  peculiar  shape,  was  applied  to  all  the  territory  west  of 
that  river  or  kil  and  the  Hackensack.  Kol  is  here  used  as  an  abbreviation 
of  kil  van  kol.  Mill  creek  seems  to  have  been  the  stream  now  known  as 
Elizabethtown  creek. 


148  NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 

certainly  because  we  spoke  French,  and  they  were  French 
people.  We  slept  there  this  night,  and  at  three  o'clock  in 
the  morning  we  set  sail 

Uth,  Saturday.  Being  under  sail,  as  I  have  said,  it  wa* 
so  entirely  calm  that  we  could  only  float  with  the  stream 
until  we  came  to  the  Shatters  island,  where  we  obtained 
the  tide  again.  It  was  now  about  four  o'clock.  In  order 
to  protect  ourselves  from  the  air  which  was  very  cold  and 
piercing,  we  crept  under  the  sail  which  was  very  old  and 
full  of  holes.  The  tide  having  run  out  by  daylight  we 
came  under  sail  again,  with  a  good  wind  which  brought  us 
to  the  city  at  about  eight  o'clock,  for  which  we  were  glad 
and  returning  thanks  to  God,  betook  ourselves  to  rest. 

15th,  Sunday.  We  went  at  noon  to-day  to  hear  the  English 
minister,  whose  services  took  place  after  the  Dutch  church 
was  out.    There  were  not  above  twenty-five  or  thirty 
people  in  the  church.    The  first  thing  that  occurred  was 
the  reading  of  all  their  prayers  and  ceremonies  out  of  the 
prayer  book,  as  is  done  in  all  Episcopal  churches.    A  young 
man  then  went  into  the  pulpit  and  commenced  preaching 
who  thought  he  was  performing  wonders;  but  he  had  a 
little  book  in  his  hand  out  of  which  he  read  his  sermon 
winch  was  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour  or  half  an  hour  long 1 
A\  ith  this  the  services  were  concluded,  at  which  we  could 
not  be  sufficiently  astonished.    This  was  all  that  happened 
with  us  to-day. 

16th,  Monday.  I  was  occupied  to-day  in  copying  my 

'The  only  English  minister  in  the  whole  province  at  this  time  was 
at  ached  to  the  garrison  at  the  city  of  New  York.  This  was  the  Rev 
Charles  Wooley,  a  graduate  of  Emanuel  College,  Cambridge,  in  1677  He 
came  to  New  York  in  August,  1678,  and  left  there  for  England  inJuly, 
1680.  He  was  the  author  of  a  small  volume  with  the  title  of  ^  Two  Yeart 
Journal  tn  Mw  York,  &c,  published  in  1701,  and  recently  republished 
w:  h  notes  by  Dr.  E.  B.  O'Callaghan,  in  Mr.  Cowans'  interesting  series  of 
early  works  on  the  colonies. 


THE  OLD  INDIAN  OF  AQUAKENONK. 


149 


journal.  In  the  morning  there  came  an  Indian  to  our 
house,  a  man  about  eighty  years  of  age,  whom  our  people 
called  Jasper,  who  lived  at  Ahakinsack  or  at  Akinon.  Con- 
cerning this  Indian  our  old  people  related  that  when  they 
lived  on  Long  Island,  it  was  once  a  very  dear  time ;  no 
provisions  could  be  obtained,  and  they  suffered  great  want, 
so  that  they  were  reduced  to  the  last  extremity  ;  that  God 
the  Lord  then  raised  up  this  Indian,  who  went  out  a  fishing 
daily  in  order  to  bring  fish  to  them  every  day  when  he 
caught  a  good  mess,  which  he  always  did.  If,  when  he 
came  to  the  house,  he  found  it  alone,  and  they  were  out 
working  in  the  fields,  he  did  not  fail,  but  opened  the  door, 
laid  the  fish  on  the  floor,  and  proceeded  on  his  way.  For 
this  reason  these  people  possess  great  affection  for  him  and 
have  given  him  the  name  of  Jasper,  and  also  my  nitap,  that 
is,  my  great  friend.  He  never  comes  to  the  Manhatans 
without  visiting  them  and  eating  with  them,  as  he  now 
did,  as  among  his  old  friends.  We  asked  him  why  he  had 
done  so  much  kindness  to  these  people.  "  I  have  always 
been  inclined,"  he  answered,  "  from  my  youth  up  to  do 
good,  especially  to  good  people,  known  to  me.  I  took  the 
fish  to  them  because  Maneto  (the  devil)  said  to  me,  you 
must  take  fish  to  these  people,  whispering  ever  in  my  ear 
'you  must  take  fish  to  them.'  I  had  to  do  it,  or  Maneto 
would  have  killed  me."  Our  old  woman  telling  us  he  some- 
times got  drunk,  we  said  to  him  he  should  not  do  so  any 
more,  that  the  great  Sakemacker  (the  Lord)  who  is  above, 
was  offended  at  such  conduct  and  would  kill  him.  "  No," 
said  he,  laughing  as  if  that  were  a  mistake  of  ours,  "  it  is 
Maneto  who  kill  those  who  do  evil,  and  leaves  those  who 
do  good  at  peace."  "  That  is  only  "  we  replied,  "  because 
Maneto  is  the  slave  and  executioner  of  the  great  Sakemacker 
above ;  "  and  we  then  asked  him  if  he  believed  there  was 
such  a  great  and  good  Sakemacker  there  ?  "  Undoubtedly," 
he  said,  "  but  he  remains  above,  and  does  not  trouble  him- 


150 


NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


self  with  the  earth  or  earthly  things,  because  he  does 
nothing  except  what  is  good;  but  Maneto,  who  also  is  a 
Bakemacker,  and  is  here  below,  and  governs  all,  and 
punishes  and  torments  those  men  who  do  evil  and  drink 
themselves  drunk."  Hereupon  we  inquired  of  him  why 
he  did  so  then.  "  Yes,"  he  said,  "  I  had  rather  not,  but 
my  heart  is  so  inclined  that  it  causes  me  to  do  it,  although 
1  know  it  is  wrong.  The  Christians  taught  it  to  us,  and 
give  us  or  sell  us  the  drink,  and  drink  themselves  drunk." 
We  said  to  him  :  "  Listen !  if  we  came  to  live  near  you,  you 
would  never  see  us  drunk,  nor  would  we  give  or  sell  you 
or  your  people  any  rum."  "  That,"  he  replied,  "would be 
good."  We  told  him  he  must  not  make  such  a  difference 
between  himself  and  a  Christian,  because  one  was  white 
and  the  other  red,  and  one  wore  clothes  and  the  other  went 
almost  naked,  or  one  was  called  a  Christian  and  the  other 
an  Indian,  that  this  great  and  good  Sakemacker  was  the 
father  of  us  all,  and  had  made  us  all,  and  that  all  who  did 
not  do  good  would  be  killed  by  Maneto  whether  they  were 
called  Christians  or  Indians;  but  that  all  who  should  do 
good  would  go  to  this  good  Sakemacker  above.  "  Yes," 
said  he,  "  we  do  not  know  or  speak  to  this  Sakemacker,  but 
Maneto  we  know  and  speak  to,  but  you  people,  who  can 
read  and  write,  know  and  converse  with  this  Sakemacker." 

We  asked  him,  where  he  believed  he  came  from  ?  He 
answered  from  his  father.  "  And  where  did  your  father 
come  from  ? "  we  said,  "  and  your  grand-father  and  great 
grand-father,  and  so  on  to  the  first  of  the  race?"  He  was 
silent  for  a  little  while,  either  as  if  unable  to  climb  up  at 
once  so  high  with  his  thoughts,  or  to  express  them  without 
help,  and  then  took  a  piece  of  coal  out  of  the  fire  where 
he  sat,  and  began  to  write  upon  the  floor.  He  first  drew  a 
circle,  a  little  oval,  to  which  he  made  four  paws  or  feet,  a 
head  and  a  tail.  "This,"  said  he,  "  is  a  tortoise,  lying  in 
the  water  around  it,"  and  he  moved  his  hand  round  the 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  MAN.    THE  INDIAN  DRUNK. 


151 


figure,  continuing,  "  this  was  or  is  all  water,  and  so  at  first 
was  the  world  or  the  earth,  when  the  tortoise  gradually 
raised  its  round  hack  up  high,  and  the  water  ran  off  of  it, 
and  thus  the  earth  became  dry."  He  then  took  a  little 
straw  and  placed  it  on  end  in  the  middle  of  the  figure,  and 
proceeded,  "  the  earth  was  now  dry,  and  there  grew  a  tree 
in  the  middle  of  the  earth,  and  the  root  of  this  tree  sent 
forth  a  sprout  heside  it  and  there  grew  upon  it  a  man,  who 
was  the  first  male.  This  man  was  then  alone,  and  would 
have  remained  alone;  but  the  tree  bent  over  until  its  top 
touched  the  earth,  and  there  shot  therein  another  root,  from 
which  came  forth  another  sprout,  and  there  grew  upon  it 
the  woman,  and  from  these  two  are  all  men  produced." 
"We  gave  him  four  fish-hooks  with  which  he  was  much 
pleased,  and  immediately  calculated  how  much  in  money 
he  had  obtained.  "  I  have  got  twenty  four  stuivers  worth," 
he  said.  He  then  inquired  our  names,  which  we  gave 
him,  and  wished  to  know  why  he  asked  for  them  ?  "  Well," 
he  replied,  "because  you  are  good  people  and  are  true 
nitaps ;  and  in  case  you  should  come  into  the  woods  and 
fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Indians,  and  they  should  wish 
to  kill  or  harm  you,  if  I  know  or  hear  of  it  I  might  help 
you,  for  they  will  do  you  no  injury  when  they  know  me." 
For  he  was  the  brother  of  a  Sackemaker.  We  told  him 
that  we  did  not  give  them  to  him  on  that  account,  but  only 
from  regard  because  he  was  a  good  person,  although  the 
good  will  or  thankfulness  which  he  wished  to  show  thereby 
was  good.  "  Well,"  he  said,  "  that  is  good,  that  is  good," 
with  which,  after  eating  something,  he  departed. 

But  at  noon  he  returned  with  a  young  Indian,  both  of 
them  so  drunk  they  could  not  speak,  and  having  a  calabash 
of  liquor  with  them.  We  chided  him,  but  to  no  purpose, 
for  he  could  neither  use  his  reason  nor  speak  so  as  to  be 
understood.  The  young  Indian  with  him  wasaSackemaker's 


152 


NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


son,  and  was  bold.  He  wanted  to  have  a  piece  of  meat 
that  was  on  the  table,  and  on  which  we  all  had  to  make  our 
dinner,  when  we  told  him  it  was  not  for  him.  "  Yes," 
said  he,  "I  see  it  is  so;"  nevertheless,  and  although  we 
offered  him  something  else  to  eat,  he  was  evilly  disposed 
and  dissatisfied,  and  would  take  nothing  except  the  piece 
of  meat  alone ;  but  that  was  not  given  to  him.  Whereupon 
Jasper  told  him  he  must  be  quiet,  that  the  old  people  and 
we  were  all  his  nitaps,  and  by  degrees  quieted  him,  they 
sitting  together  by  the  fire  and  drinking  their  rum.  They 
left  afterwards  for  Long  Island. 

17th,  Tuesday.  Nothing  transpired  to-day. 
18(h,  Wednesday.  In  the  afternoon  Jasper,  the  Indian, 
came  back  again,  and  proceeded  confidently  to  our  room 
in  the  rear  of  the  house,  but  sober  and  in  his  senses.  He 
told  us  how  he  had  been  with  his  nephew,  the  Sackemaker's 
son  to  Long  Island,  among  the  other  Indians ;  and  that  he 
had  given  away,  not  only  his  fish-hooks,  but  also  his  shoes 
and  stockings.  We  found  fault  with  him  at  first  for  having 
become  so  drunk,  contrary  to  his  promise,  and  when  he 
well  knew  it  was  wrong.  To  which  he  said  he  had  to  buy 
some  nails  for  an  Englishman  who  lived  near  him,  from 
another  Englishman  here,  who  had  sold  and  given  him  the 
rum. 

I  must  here  remark,  in  passing,  that  the  people  in  this 
city,  who  are  most  all  traders  in  small  articles,  whenever 
they  see  an  Indian  enter  the  house,  who  they  know  has  any 
money,  they  immediately  set  about  getting  hold  of  him, 
giving  him  rum  to  drink,  whereby  he  is  soon  caught  and 
becomes  half  a  fool.  If  he  should  then  buy  any  thing,  he 
is  doubly  cheated,  in  the  wares,  and  in  the  price.  He  is 
then  urged  to  buy  more  drink,  which  they  now  make  half 
water,  and  if  he  cannot  drink  it,  they  drink  it  themselves. 
They  do  not  rest  until  they  have  cajoled  him  out  of  all  his 
money,  or  most  of  it;  and  if  that  cannot  be  done  in  one 


EPHEAIM  HEERMANS. 


153 


day,  they  keep  him,  and  let  him  lodge  and  sleep  there,  but 
in  some  out  of  the  way  place,  down  on  the  ground,  guard- 
ing their  merchandise  and  other  property  in  the  meantime, 
and  always  managing  it  so  that  the  poor  creature  does  not 
go  away  before  he  has  given  them  all  they  want.  And 
these  miserable  Christians  are  so  much  the  more  eager  in 
this  respect,  because  no  money  circulates  among  themselves, 
and  they  pay  each  other  in  wares,  in  which  they  are 
constantly  cheating  and  defrauding  each  other.  Although 
it  is  forbidden  to  sell  the  drink  to  the  Indians,  yet  every 
one  does  it,  and  so  much  the  more  earnestly,  and  with  so 
much  greater  and  burning  avarice,  that  it  is  done  in  secret. 
To  this  extent  and  further,  reaches  the  damnable  and  insa- 
tiable covetousness  of  most  of  those  who  here  call  themselves 
Christians.  Truly,  our  hearts  grieved  when  we  heard  of 
these  things,  which  call  so  grievously  upon  the  supreme 
judge  for  vengeance.  He  will  not  always  let  his  name  be 
so  profaned  and  exposed  to  reproach  and  execration. 

"We  asked  Jasper,  why  he  had  given  away  his  hooks  and 
stockings.  He  said,  it  was  a  custom  among  them,  for  the 
lesser  to  give  to  the  greater.  "We  replied  the  Sackemaker 
was  richer  than  he,  and  he  should,  therefore,  have  kept  them. 
"No,"  he  said,  "I  did  it  as  a  mark  of  respect  and  obedience." 
"We  gave  him  four  more  fish-hooks,  and  told  him  he  must 
take  care  of  them  for  himself.  "I  will  bring  you  fish  as 
soon  as  I.  catch  any,"  he  said  as  he  went  away,  promising 
also  that  he  would  get  drunk  no  more. 

From  this  time  until  the  22d  of  October,  nothing  special 
took  place,  except  that  we  spoke  to  one  Ephraim,  a  young 
trader,  who  was  just  married  here,  and  who  intended  to  go 
with  his  wife  to  the  South  river,  where  he  usually  dwelt, 
for  which  purpose  he  was  only  waiting  for  horses  and  men 
from  there.1    He  tendered  us  his  services  and  his  horses, 

1  This  person  avus  Ephraim  Heermans,  son  of  Augustine  Heermans,  of 
both  of  whom  we  will  hear  more  in  the  sequel. 
20 


154 


NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


if  wc  would  accompany  him,  and  offered  to  carry  us  in  Inn 
own  boat  everywhere  on  that  river,  from  the  falls  (of  the 
Delaware),  to  which  we  would  have  to  travel  by  land,  and 
where  the  boat  would  be  waiting  for  him  to  take  him  down 
the  river;  since  he  himself  would  have  to  touch  at  many 
places  on  the  river,  in  going  down.  As  Bowman,  who 
was  going  there  with  horses,  did  not  make  his  appearance, 
we  accepted  the  offer  with  thankfulness,  waiting  only  for 
the  time. 

■1-Mb,  Ti.icstloi/.  Margaret's  ship  in  which  we  arrived  here, 
being  ready  to  leave,  but  she  not  going  in  it,  as  it  was  said, 
we  set  about  writing  letters,  which  we  might  give  to  our 
1  vol  nil,  and  finished  them  to-day,  and  also  the  copying  of 
my  journal. 

25th,  Wednesday.  Having  closed  up  our  letters,  we  had 
Robyn  at  our  house,  and  gave  them  to  him  in  his  own  hands, 
as  we  had  heard  from  the  supercargo  himself  that  he  would 
run  into  Falmouth  again  for  the  purpose  of  paying  the 
duties;  we  gave  Robyn  money  to  post  our  letters  over  Lon- 
don, together  with  something  for  his  trouble,  and  with  this, 
wishing  him  the  blessing  of  the  Lord,  we  took  leave  of 
him  ;  but  recollecting  afterwards  that  we  had  forgotten  to 
put  a  date  to  the  letters,  which  was  very  necessary,  I  had 
to  go  in  search  of  Robyn  again,  whom  I  found  at  last,  and 
took  back  from  him  the  Jetters.  When  we  had  resealed 
them,  I  went  after  him  again,  but  he  had  gone  on  board 
the  ship.  I  waited  for  an  opportunity  and  went  on  board 
myself,  and  handed  them  to  him  again.  He  was  glad  to 
see  me  on  board ;  and  while  there  I  went  looking  around 
to  see  how  the  ship  was  laden,  and  found  her  so  full 
that  the  poor  sailors  had  scarcely  room  to  eat  or  sleep. 
The  boatswain  who  had  now  become  mate,  because  the 
Dutch  mate,  Evert,  had  become  captain  of  a  ketch, 
treated  me  with  much  kindness ;  but  as  the  boat  and 


COMMUNIPAW.  BERGEN. 


155 


sailors  were  continually  ashore,  it  was  dark  before  I  could 
reach  the  land. 

26th,  Thursday.  We  inquired  whether  our  journey  to  the 
south  would  soon  take  place,  and  was  informed  it  would 
not  be  this  week.  We  resolved  not  to  remain  idle,  and  to 
embrace  the  opportunity  to  cross  to-morrow  over  the  North 
river  opposite  the  fort  to  a  place  called  Ghmoenepaen,  as 
soon  as  we  could  find  the  means  of  passage. 

27 th,  Friday.  We  went  after  breakfast  to  see  if  we  could 
be  taken  over  the  river.  We  found  a  boat  going  soon, 
but  we  must  wait  a  little.  In  the  meanwhile  we  made  the 
acquaintance  of  a  person  from  Zeeland,  or  who  had  lived 
there  a  long  time,  for  he  himself  was  a  Hollander.  He 
had  been  an  apprentice  to  Jaques  Fierens,  printer,  in  the 
Globe  in  the  Gi  street,  and,  although  I  had  been  often 
enough  in  that  house,  and  he  knew  my  face,  he  did  not 
know  me  particularly.  He  came  to  this  country  with  Cor- 
nells Everts  of  Zeeland,  and  had  assisted  in  taking  it  from 
the  English  in  1674.  He  had  remained  here  since  and 
married.  He  sometimes  bound  old  books,  and  was  the 
only  bookbinder  in  the  country. 

It  was  about  noon  when  we  crossed  over.  Our  old 
woman  at  the  house  had  told  us  of  another  good  woman 
who  lived  at  this  place,  named  Fitie,  from  Cologne,  and 
recommended  us  to  visit  her,  which  we  did  as  soon  as  we 
landed.  We  found  her  a  little  pious  after  the  manner  of 
the  country,  and  you  could  discover  that  there  was  some- 
thing of  the  Lord  in  her,  but  very  much  covered  up  and 
defiled.  We  dined  there  and  spoke  to  her  of  what  we 
deemed  necessary  for  her  condition.  She  has  many  grand- 
children, all  of  whom  are  not  unjust.  We  continued  our 
journey  along  a  fine  broad  wagon  road  to  the  other  village, 
called  Bergen,  a  good  half  hour  or  three-quarters,  inland 
from  there,  where  the  villagers,  who  are  most  all  Dutch, 
received  us  well,  and  were  rejoiced  to  see  us.  They 


156 


NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


inquired  and  spoke  to  us  about  various  things.    We  also 
found  there  the  cook  of  the  vessel  in  whieh  we  came  over. 
He  was  sick  of  the  ship,  and  was  stopping  ashore  with  his 
relations  here  in  order  to  recruit  himself.    He  entertained 
us  according  to  his  ability,  and  gave  us  some  Hespam 
(raccoon)  to  eat,  a  wild  animal  somewhat  larger  than  a  cat. 
It  was  very  fat,  and  of  a  good  flavor,  almost  like  a  pig. 
The  skins  of  these  animals  are  good  peltry,  and  are  sent 
in  great  quantities  to  Europe.    We  had  also  some  good 
cider.    Our  cook  took  a  small  walk  with  us  over  the 
country,  and  showed  us  the  situation  of  the  plantations 
around  there,  as  he  had  lived  there  a  long  time,  and  con- 
sequently was  acquainted  with  all  these  farms.    The  soil 
was  very  good,  and  indeed  of  the  best  that  we  had  seen 
anywhere.    This  good  ground  was  for  the  most  part  on  the 
declivities  of  the  hills,  and  so  on  below.    The  Slaivjcn 
Bcn/h  (Snake's  Hill)  of  which  I  had  heard  much,  and 
which  I  had  imagined  to  myself  was  a  large  projecting 
hill,  lies  close  by  and  is  only  a  small  round  hill ;  and  is  so 
named  on  account  of  the  numerous  snakes  which  infest  it. 
It  stands  quite  alone,  and  is  almost  entirely  encircled  by 
the  Xorth  kil.1    It  is  nothing  but  rocks  and  stones,  with  a 
little  earth  up  above  where  a  plantation  could  be  formed. 
We  returned  to  the  village  by  evening,  and  lodged  with 
one  Ch.cs  Fransen,  who  had  brought  us  over  the  river.  He 
had  a  good  old  mother,  and  also  a  brother  living  there. 
His  other  brothers  were  married,  and  lived  in  the  same 
village.    We  conversed  with  these  people  about  spiritual 
things,  and  had  great  enjoyment  therein.    We  were  entirely 
welcome.    We  slept  upon  some  straw  on  the  floor,  and  it 
was  lucky  for  us  that  he  sold  blankets,  some  of  which  he 
used  to  cover  us.    We  have  nowhere,  to  my  knowledge, 
seen  or  eaten  finer  apples.    One  kind  was  very  large,  fair, 


1  Hackingsack  river. 


NO  MINISTER  AT  BERGEN. 


157 


and  of  good  taste,  fifty-six  of  which  only  conld  he  put  in  a 
heaped  up  hushel  (schepcl),  that  is,  half  a  hag.  Another 
variety,  somewhat  smaller,  but  not  less  fair  in  appearance, 
and  of  a  better  flavor,  my  comrade  was  acquainted  witb, 
and  said  they  were  called  the  Double  Paradise.  He  acknow- 
ledged they  were  very  delicate. 

28th,  Saturday.  Early  this  morning  Claes  prepared  to 
cross  over  to  the  Manhatans,  to  carry  to  market  some  fine 
fat  mutton  from  a  sheep  which  he  had  killed  the  night 
before.  He  sold  it  for  three  cents  (twee  blanken)  a  pound, 
reckoned  in  Holland  money  and  Amsterdam  weight.  It 
was  rainy  the  whole  morning,  and  it  had  stormed  so  hard 
in  the  night  that  we  could  not  find  a  dry  place  in  the  house 
to  lie  in.  We  were  apprehensive  of  hearing  of  some  mis- 
fortune to  the  ships,  especially  two  lying  under  Staten 
island,  one  of  which  was  Margaret's,  and  was  bound  for 
Holland.  Claes  was  alarmed  for  his  boat,  in  which  we  had 
to  cross  over ;  but  going  to  the  shore  about  eleven  o'clock, 
he  found  it  there,  but  half  full  of  rain  water.  The  mast 
which  he  had  left  standing  was  overboard,  and  to  be  looked 
for,  but  was  afterwards  found,  and  the  mast  bench  and 
socket  were  out  of  their  places,  and  in  pieces.  He  had, 
therefore,  some  repairs  to  make.  It  cleared  up  gradually, 
and  he  resolved  to  cross  over,  which  he  was  the  more 
anxious  to  do,  because  he  was  going  to  bring  back  Domine 
Tessemaker,  who  had  promised  to  come  the  next  day  and 
preach  for  them  before  his  departure ;  for  although  there  is 
a  considerable  congregation  in  this  vicinity,  and  they  are 
abundantly  able  to  support  a  minister,  they  have  none ; 
for  it  is  not  easy  to  obtain  one,  and  there  is  no  probability 
of  their  doing  so  as  long  as  the  country  belongs  to  the 
English,  though  they  intend  to  build  a  church  next  spring. 
For  the  present  they  have  nobody  except  a  voorleser  (clerk), 
who  performs  his  service  for  them  on  Sundays,  in  the 
school  house,  where  they  assemble.    They  have,  however, 


158 


NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


agreed  with  the  minister  of  the  city  to  administer  there  the 
Lord's  Supper  three  times  a  year,  for  which  he  receives 
thirty  bushels  or  fifteen  bags  of  wheat.    This  service  he 
performs  on  week-days,  because  he  cannot  be  absent  from 
the  city  on  Sundays,  where  he  is  the  only  minister.  This 
Gmoenepaen  is  an  arm  of  the  main  land  on  the  west  side 
ot  the  North  river,  beginning  at  Constable's  Hook,  directly 
opposite  Staten  island,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  the 
KU  van  Kol    On  the  east  is  the  North  river ;  on  the  north 
the  main  land  Pavoni  or  Haverstroo,  or  indeed  Hackiwjsack  ■ 
and  on  the  west,  the  North  Ml,  which  separates  it  from  New 
Jersey  and  Elizabethtown.    It  is  almost  an  hour  broad, 
but  has  large  salt  meadows  or  marshes  on  the  kil.    It  has 
many  bays  and  inlets,  and  lies  very  commodiously  for  the 
inhabitants,  because  it  is  everywhere  accessible  by  water 
from  the  city.    The  village  of  Bergen  lies  about  in  the 
middle  of  the  tract,  and  has  been  reasonably  strong  in  time  of 
the  war  with  the  Indians.1    It  has  very  fine  farms  which  yield 
well. 

As  we  were  about  to  cross,  an  Indian  came  up,  who  also 
desired  to  be  carried  over.  He  asked  the  skipper  whether 
he  might  go  over  with  him,  who  replied  he  had  too  much 
freight    "Well,"  said  he,  "I  will  pay  you  for  that.  How 

1  Tins  passage  is  obscure.  The  original  reads  as  follows  :  Het  dorp  Ber- 
gen Uijt  omtrcnl  op  het  mulden  van  de  streek,  en  is  redelijck  vast  geweest  in  tyde 
tan  oorlogh  rnelde  wilde.  The  Indian  war  here  referred  to  was  probably 
that  of  1656,  when  the  Indians  made  a  descent  upon  New  Amsterdam 
and  after  being  driven  from  that  city,  crossed  over  to  Pavonia,  and 
destroyed  the  buildings,  and  killed  or  captured  the  inhabitants  O'C'alla- 
ghan's  New  Mtherland,  II,  290-1.  When  Bergen  was  first  settled,  is  not 
positively  known,  but  it  was  recognized  as  an  existing  village  by  the 
director-general  and  council  of  New  Netherland  in  1661.  Taylor's  Annals 
of  the  Classis  of  Bergen,  50-51.  It  would  seem,  therefore,  to  have  been 
settled  before  the  last  mentioned  year,  and  it  may  have  been  "  reasonably 
strong; "  that  is,  settled  at  the  time  Pavonia  was  burned.  The  word  vast 
which  we  have  rendered  by  strong,  may,  however,  have  another  significa- 


QUAKER  MEETING. 


159 


much  freight  do  the  people  give  you  ? "  The  skipper 
answered  six  cents  in  seewan."  "  Well  then,"  said  the 
Indian,  "  I  will  give  you  seven."  This  made  us  all  laugh, 
because  he  valued  himself  less  and  bound  bimself  to  pay 
more  than  the  others.  We,  therefore,  took  him  with  us. 
The  river  here  is  full  four  miles  wide,  and  when  it  blows, 
especially  from  the  north  or  northwest,  there  is  some- 
times a  rolling  sea,  making  it  dangerous  to  cross  over,  par- 
ticularly in  small  boats.  While  we  were  in  the  village  of 
Bergen,  a  person  came  to  us  who  was  willing  to  take  us  up 
through  the  Northwest  Ml,  where  we  were  inclined  to  go, 
because  Jaques  of  Long  Island  and  his  associates,  had 
bought  for  a  trifle,  a  piece  of  land  there  of  twelve  thousand 
morgen1  and  he  had  related  wonders  to  us  about  it;  and  that 
above  his  land,  and  above  the  falls  which  are  more  than  an 
hour's  distance  from  it,  there  was  another  tract  still  better, 
which  was  corroborated  by  almost  every  one,  especially  in 
Bergen,  whose  inhabitants  were  very  well  acquainted  there, 
and  some  of  whom  had  bought  a  large  piece  of  land  close 
by.  The  before  mentioned  tract  was  considered  by  them 
the  best  in  all  'New  ISTetherland.  We,  therefore,  did  not 
reject  the  offer  of  this  person,  but  only  postponed  it  until 
a  later  opportunity,  perhaps  after  our  return  from  the  South 
river.  They  said  this  piece  of  land  was  very  large,  and 
could  be  increased  to  twenty-five  or  thirty  thousand  morgen, 
which  the  Indians  were  disposed  to  sell,  and  we  could  buy 
for  a  small  price.  When  we  reached  home  we  showed  our 
old  people  the  apples  which  we  had  brought  with  us,  and 


1 A  rnorgen  is  about  two  acres  of  land.  Smith,  in  his  History  of  New 
Jersey,  1.39,  alluding  to  the  earliest  settlements  on  the  Passaic  river,  says 
that  above  an  island  there  belonging  to  Christopher  Hoogland,  of 
Newark,  was  "  a  large  tract  belonging  to  Jaques  Cartelayne  (Cortelyou) 
and  partners,  who  now  (1082),  made  some  settlement.  These  tracts 
were  within  the  jurisdiction  of  Newark."  Cortelyou's  purchase  was  at 
Aquackanonk. 


160  NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 

they  confessed  that  as  long  as  they  had  lived  in  the  country, 
they  had  never  seen  any  finer  or  larger. 

29th,  Sunday.  We  had  heen  last   Sunday  to  hear  the 
quakers,  but  the  greater  portion  of  them  were  on  Long 
Island,  so  that  nothing  was  done.    My  comrade  had  a 
mind  to  go  again  to-day,  but  I  remained  at  home.  After 
waiting  two  hours,  he  went  to  hear  the  episcopalians  and 
then  returned  to  the  quakers,  who  had  remained  all  this 
time  sitting  silent  and  gazing.    He  then  took  a  walk 
out  for  a  •considerable  time,  and  went  back  again  and 
found  then  still  in  the  same  position.    Being  tired  out,  he 
would  wait  no  longer,  and  came  home.    We  went  in 
the  afternoon  to  see  Ephraim  for  the  purpose  of  inquir- 
ing of  him  how  soon  our  journey  to  the  South  river 
would  commence,  and  whether  we  would  have  time  first 
to  take  a  trip  to  Aquakmon  with  the  man  from  Bergen, 
of  whom  we  have  spoken  above;  but  we  did  not  find  him 
at  home. 

mh,  Monday.  We  went  again  this  morning  to  speak  to 
him.    He  said  we  would  have  time  to  go  there,  and  allow- 
ing the  utmost  it  might  take  us,  he  would  still  wait  a 
day  or  two.    We  went  immediately  to  Sapokanikkc,  where 
(Gerrit)  was  engaged  in  building,  whom  we  wished  to  ac- 
company us,  because  he  knew  several  of  those  Indians  and 
spoke  their  language,  and  because  he  had  said  all  aW 
that  he  wished  to  see  the  laud  of  his  brother-in-law,  since 
Jaques  had  promised  him  as  much  of  it  as  he  would  culti- 
vate ;  but  we  found  him  indisposed  with  a  sore  leg,  and 
unable  to  go.    Nevertheless,  we  crossed  over  the  river  in 
the  evening,  at  the  same  time  the  two  ministers  were 
returning,  namely,   Tessemaker  who  preached  there  on 
Sunday  as  we  have  stated,  and  Niewenhuise   who  had 
administered  the  Lord's  Supper  there  to  day.    We  went 
over  with  Claes,  and  it  was  dark  when  we  arrived  at 
Gmoenepaen.    We  followed  Claes,  who  took  us  to  his 


» 


A  JOURNEY  ABANDONED. 


161 


house,  where  we  were  made  welcome  by  his  old  mother. 
My  comrade  went  with  Claes,  yet  this  evening,  to  see  the 
man  who  was  to  take  us  up  the  Ml,  so  that  in  case  he 
had  any  thing  to  make  ready  it  might  be  done  this  even- 
ing. He  said  it  would  be  noon  before  the  tide  would 
serve  to-morrow  and  that  he  had  nothing  else  to  do  in  the 
morning.  We  learned  he  was  a  most  godless  ro£?ue, 
which  caused  us  to  be  cautious  in  what  we  had  to  do  with 
him.  We  conversed  this  evening  with  the  old  woman  in 
whose  house  we  slept,  and  this  poor  woman  seemed  to 
have  great  enjoyment  and  fruition,  as  did  also  her  sons 
and  others  with  whom  we  occasionally  conversed.  It  ap- 
peared, indeed,  as  if  the  Lord  might  have  there  the  seed 
of  the  elect,  which  he  will  bring  forth  in  his  own  time,  if  it 
please  him.  Truly  these  are  the  best  people  whom  we 
have  found  in  these  parts. 

Slst,  Tuesday.  We  went  this  morning  to  look  about  the 
country  a  little,  which  pleased  us  very  much,  aud  thus 
occupied  ourselves  until  noon,  when  we  proceeded  to  look 
after  our  guide  and  arrange  matters  with  him.  As  soon 
as  he  came  in  the  house,  we  inquired  of  him  what  he 
wanted  for  his  trouble  for  the  journey.  He  demanded  a 
cloth  innocent  or  coat,  and  that  not  of  the  poorest.  His  wife, 
who  was  the  worst  woman,  I  think,  I  have  ever  beheld  in 
my  life,  did  the  best  also  to  cheat  us.  We  asked  him 
what  he  thought  such  a  coat  would  cost.  "Well,"  said 
he,  "  call  it  a  hundred  guilders."  We  told  him  we  did 
not  intend  to  give  so  much.  He  replied,  "  I  cannot  take 
less  for  so  long  a  time."  "And  how  long  do  you  expect 
to  be  gone,"  we  asked.  "  You  must  not,  "he  said,  "  think 
of  being  back  before  Monday."  We  then  asked  him  how 
much  ho  demanded  a  day,  and  he  said  eight  guilders. 
We  made  an  agreement  with  him  for  seven  guilders  a 
day,  that  is,  twenty-eight  stuivers,  Holland  money.  We 
then  started  to  get  some  provisions,  which  the  old  woman, 
21 


102  NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


where  we  slept,  had  cheerfully  given  us;  hut  we  took 
nothing,  except  two  half  loaves  of  rye  bread,  and  some 
apples  in  our  traveling  bag,  hut  this  Dirck  provided  him- 
self better  for  making  the  journey.    When  we  were  ready, 
we  went  over  the  salt  meadow  or  marsh  to  the  kil,  which 
was  full  an  half  an  hour's  distance;  but  when  we  came  to 
the  canoe,  the  ebb  tide  was  still  running  strong,  and  we 
required  the  flood.    The  canoe  lay  in  a  bend  of  a  small 
creek,  and  it  was  impossible  to  get  it  out  of  this  bight  and 
over  the  mire,  except  at  high  water,  which  would  not  take 
place  until  evening.    We  were,  therefore,  brought  to  a 
stand,  whether  to  proceed  in  the  evening,  to  which  we 
were  not  much  inclined,  or  await  until  the  next  morning, 
which  was  too  much  of  a  delay  in  view  of  our  journey  to 
the  south.    We  had,  besides,  felt  some  misgivings  in  our 
hearts  on  account  of  the  godlessness  of  the  person  who 
was  to  conduct  us.    We  saw  that  the  Lord  plainly  shewed 
what  we  had  to  do,  and  we,  therefore,  abandoned  the  trip, 
and  told  him  we  had  not  so  much  time  to  lose,  and  should 
embrace  another  opportunity.    JIe  cursed  and  swore  at 
those  who  had  told  him  the  tide  would  serve  at  noon.  In 
truth  he  had  not  been  careful  and  had  nobody  to  blame 
but  himself.    We  were  glad  we  were  rid  of  him.  We 
gave  our  apples  and  bread  back  to  the  old  woman,  who,  as 
well  as  all  the  villagers,  who  heard  we  were  not  going  up, 
were  rejoiced,  and  declared  we  would  not  have  been 
satisfied.    Afterwards,  several  others  offered  their  services 
to  accompany  us  by  land,  either  on  foot  or  horseback,  or 
otherwise,  and  go  with  us  themselves,  which  we  did  not 
reject,  but  only  postponed  until  we  should  see  what  the 
Lord  would  do  in  his  time. 

We  went  immediately  to  the  strand  to  see  whether  we 
could  still  cross  over  to  the  other  side ;  but  Claes  had  left 
for  the  city,  and  did  not  return  until  evening,  and  there 
was  no  other  boat.    We  were,  therefore,  compelled  to 


DELAYS  IN  LEAVING  FOR  THE  SOUTH.  163 


remain ;  but,  in  the  meantime,  we  visited  the  before 
mentioned  Fytie,  where  we  met  several  Indians,  who  lived 
upon  and  owned  the  very  land  we  had  intended  to  visit. 
They  had  heard  we  had  gone  up  to  look  at  their  land,  and 
wondered  at  seeing  us  back  there.  They  manifested 
pleasure  at  our  wishing  to  visit  them,  and  examine  their 
land ;  shook  hands  with  us,  and  said  we  were  great 
and  good  nitaps.  They  were  in  hopes  we  would  come 
and  live  on  their  lands,  where  we  would  always  be  good 
nitaps.  Meanwhile  Claes  having  arrived,  we  went  back 
with  him  to  Bergen,  and  passed  the  night  again  at  hie 
house. 

November  1st,  Wednesday.  As  soon  as  Claes  had  taken 
his  freight  on  board,  we  crossed  over  with  him  to  the  city. 
Our  old  people  where  we  lodged  were  glad  we  had  not 
gone  with  that  person,  for  they  also  knew  him  well.  About 
noon  Claes  came  to  the  house,  wishing  to  buy  something 
of  us,  which  he  did.  We  presented  him  and  the  good 
people  of  this  place  with  The  Christian  Principles,1  in  Low 
Dutch,  because  we  hoped,  after  what  we  had  seen,  it 
would  serve  for  their  instruction  and  edification,  and  the 
glory  of  God,  who  will  bring  forth  the  fruits  thereof  in 
his  own  time  if  it  please  him. 

2d,  Thursday.  This  day,  and  for  the  rest  of  the  week, 
nothing  transpired  worthy  of  note,  except  we  informed 
Ephraim  that  our  trip  was  not  to  take  place,  and  therefore 
he  need  not  wait  on  our  account.  I  have  wished  several 
times  that  I  could  sketch  in  order  to  employ  the  art  some- 
times when  it  might  be  serviceable,  especially  upon  this 
voyage.  I,  therefore,  have  practised  it  some,  because  it  was 
convenient,  and  I  thought  I  succeeded  in  it  reasonably 
well,  but  I  have  clone  it,  without  any  regularity  or  assi- 
duity, and  only  to  amuse  myself  occasionally. 


1  A  publication  of  the  Labatlists. 


1G4 


NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


Wl,  Sunday.  My  comrade,  who  was  exercising  himself  in 
the  English  language,  went  again  to  hear  the  English 
minister  preach. 

6th,  Mbndpy.  We  went  again  to  ascertain  whether  our 
journeyjto  the  South  river  would  soon  he  undertaken  ;  for 
although  this  opportunity  would  suit  us  very  well  and  we 
should  not  miss  it,  nevertheless  the  best  time  waa  passing 
by,  and  the  winter  was  close  at  hand.    There  was  a  horse 
ottered  us  elsewhere,  which  had  to  be  taken  to  the  South 
river;  and  a  yacht  also  was  ready  to  sail  there.    The  time, 
therefore,  was  to  be  looked  to;  and  we  went  again  to'  ' 
Ephraim,  who  assured  us  that  he  would  not  delay  it  longer 
than  the  ensuing  Thursday.    But  we  heard  that  Domine 
Tdmnaker  was  going  with  him,  by  which  we  were  entrap- 
ped, for  it  waa  one  of  the  reasons  why  we  did  not  leave 
with  La  Grange,  who  had  now  been  gone  fourteen  days, 
that  he  always  told  us  Domine  Tessemaker  and  some 
other  persons  would  accompany  him.    However,  as  the 
Lord  had  thus  ordered  it,'  we  were  glad  to  submit  to  his 
will,  who  always  knows  why  he  does  thus  and  so. 

Nothing  worth  mention  happened  between  this  and 
Thursday.  Meanwhile,  however,  Domine  Tessemaker 
had  abandoned  the  journey  with  Ephraim,  and  resolved 
to  proceed  by  sea  in  the  yacht  or  boat,  in  which  he  sailed 
the  next  day.  Whether  he  had  some  special  reasons  for 
going  by  water  we  do  not  know,  although  we  guessed  so. 
Ephraim  had  ordered  a  shallop  or  yacht,  which  was  to 
land  us  at  the  Raritam,  and  was  to  be  ready,  he  said, 
Thursday  evening  or  Friday  morning  without  fail,  but  of 
that  he  would  give  us  timely  notice.  We,  therefore,  re- 
mained at  home  until  Friday  morning,  the 

when,  as  we  did  not  see  him,  we  went  to  ascertain 
the  cause  and  why  the  journey  was  not  begun.  He  said 
it  was  not  his  fault,  but  that  his  mother-in-law  could  not 
leave  so  soon,  and  he  had  given  her  time  until  next  Mon- 


LAWS  OF  THE  PROVINCE  IN  DUTCH. 


165 


day,  and  had,  therefore,  let  the  sloop  make  a  trip.  This 
did  not  please  us  very  much,  for  our  time  was  fast  running 
away,  and  we  were  ahle  to  accomplish  nothing.  We  be- 
thought ourselves,  therefore,  whether  we  could  not  make 
some  progress,  and  as  our  Jaques  (Cortelyou),  had 
promised  to  show  us  the  laws  of  the  country,  we  deter- 
mined to  sro  and  see  whether  we  could  not  abstract  from 
them  what  we  had  to  do  therein  before  our  departure. 
We  both  left  about  noon  to  go  over  to  Long  IslaDd,  and 
passed  through  Breukelm  and  Vlacke  Bos,  over  Nieu 
Uyirecht  on  a  large,  fine  wagon  road  to  Najack,  where  we 
arrived  about  three  o'clock.  It  had  been  very  warm 
during  tbe  day,  and  we  were  all  in  a  perspiration  and 
fatigued.  Jaques's  wife  bade  us  welcome,  but  he  himself 
was  in  the  fields.  After  we  had  rested  ourselves  and 
eaten  something,  we  went  outside  upon  the  banks  of  this 
beautiful  bay,  to  breathe  a  little  air,  and  look  at  several 
vessels,  going  and  coming.  In  the  meantime  he  came 
with  his  son  to  meet  us.  They  had  been  to  the  Ushfuyck, 
which  they  had  lying  there  upon  the  shore  and  out  of 
which  they  had  taken  at  noon  some  fine  fish,  but  at  present 
the  water  was  too  high.  Another  of  his  sons  had  been 
out  shooting,  but  had  not  shot  anything ;  though  the  day 
before  he  had  shot  a  woodcock  and  a  partridge  before  the 
door  of  the  house,  which  we  must  taste  this  evening  with 
some  other  things.  While  we  were  standing  there,  the 
fuyck  was  lifted  again,  from  which  they  took  out  two  fine 
bass,  of  a  kind  we  had  not  yet  seen.  They  are  quite  large, 
and  of  a  good  shape.  They  have  seven  black  stripes  on 
the  body,  extending  from  the  head  to  the  tail.  We  eat  of 
them  also  in  the  evening,  and  found  them  very  fine,  and 
had  not  yet  tasted  any  better  in  the  country.  They  were 
fat  and  hard,  with  a  little  of  the  flavor  of  the  salmon. 
The  game  suited  us  very  well. 

We  had  much  conversation  together,  and  informed  our- 
selves in  relation  to  various  matters.    He  gave  us  some 


100 


NEW  YORK  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 


medicinal  roots.  He  also  let  us  look  at  the  laws,  which 
were  written  in  a  folio  volume,  hut  in  very  bad  Dutch,  for 
they  had  been  translated  from  Pmglish  into  Dutch.  As 
it  was  a  large  hook,  and  we  saw  we  could  not  copy  it 
there,  we  requested  him  to  let  us  take  it  home  with  us  for 
that  purpose.  He  consented  upon  condition  that  if  we 
left  for  the  south,  we  would  then  deliver  it  to  his  brother- 
in-law,  Gerrit,  who  intended  to  come  over  shortly,  and 
would  hand  it  to  him.  We  lodged  this  night  somewhat 
better  than  we  had  done  before  in  the  barn,  for  we  slept 
in  his  dwelling,  and  could  feel  where  we  had  slept. 

11///,  Saturday.  As  soon  as  we  awoke  we  determined  to 
return  home  and  finish  up  some  matters  in  the  little  time 
remaining.  We  left,  therefore,  about  eight  o'clock,  after 
taking  some  breakfast.  He  conducted  us  to  New  Utrecht. 
We  lent  him  Lcs  Pcnsks  de  Pascal  which  we  judged  would 
be  useful  to  him.  We  returned  by  the  same  roads  as  we 
came,  and  reached  home  about  eleven  o'clock.  We  had 
observed  that  although  the  previous  day  had  been  pretty 
warm,  the  night  had  not  only  been  frosty  but  ice  had 
formed  as  thick  as  the  back  of  a  knife.  We  commenced 
at  noon  copying  the  most  necessary  laws,  and  afterwards 
the  rest  of  them. 

12th,  Sunday.  We  continued  making  extracts,  and 
finished  about  the  middle  of  the  day  all  that  we  deemed  it 
necessary  to  make,  omitting  minor  matters  pertaining  to 
the  duties  of  particular  officers.  What  we  copied  were  the 
laws  and  nothing  else. 

lBth,  Mond/oj.  We  took  care  that  Jaques  should  receive 
the  papers  back  again,  and  then  went  to  see  whether  our 
journey  with  Ephraim  would  be  made.  We  found  the 
boat  lying  at  the  dock,  laden  with  fire-wood,  and  that  the 
day  would  necessarily  be  occupied  in  discharging,  so  that 
at  the  best,  it  could  not  be  undertaken  before  the  next 
day.  The  time  was  finally  fixed  for  the  journey  for  the 
next  day,  and  every  thing  was  this  day  arranged. 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


14^,  Tuesday.  Having  taken  leave  of  all  our  acquaint- 
ances, we  set  off  at  ten  o'clock,  this  morning,  in  company 
with  Ephraim,  his  wife,  his  wife's  mother,  two  of  her 
sisters,  and  a  young  brother,  who  where  to  accompany  her 
as  far  as  Pescatteway.  We  stepped  into  the  boat,  where 
we  found  three  horses,  two  quakers  and  another  Englishman. 
We  were  not  long;  in  starting.  The  wind  was  from  the 
west,  which  is  a  head  wind  for  sailing  to  Achter  Kol. 
The  sky  began  to  be  heavily  overcast,  and  the  wind  to 
freshen  up  more,  so  that  we  had  to  tack.  Ephraim  being 
afraid  the  wind  might  shift  to  the  northwest,  and  blow 
hard,  as  it  usually  does  when  it  is  from  that  quarter, 
wished  to  return,  and  would  have  done  so,  if  the  skipper 
had  not  tried  to  go  ahead  more  than  he  did.  The  tide 
running  out,  and  the  boat  advancing  but  little,  and  being 
fearful  of  the  flood  tide,  which  would  delay  us,  if  it  did 
not  drive  us  back,  and  as  there  was  room  to  work  with  the 
rudder,  I  went  and  took  hold  of  the  tiller  myself,  and 
brought  the  boat,  with  the  flood  tide,  just  within  the  point 
of  Staten  island,  where  we  found  a  ketch  bound  for  Achter 
Kol,  and  further  up  to  the  Slangenbergh.  Having  now  the 
tide  with  us,  we  tacked  about,  and  quickly  passed  by  the 
Schuttefs  island,  lying  in  the  mouth  of  a  kil,  on  the  north 
side  of  the  Kil  achter  Kol.  This  island  is  so  called,  because 
the  Dutch,  when  they  first  settled  on  the  North  river, 


1G8 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


were  in  the  practice  of  coming  here  to  shoot  wild  geese, 
and  other  wild  fowl,  which  resorted  there  in  great  numbers. 
This  kil,1  when  the  water  is  high,  is  like  a  large  river, 
but  at  low  water,  it  is  dry  in  some  places.     Up  above  it 
divides  itself  into  two  branches,  one  of  which  runs  about 
north  to  the  SkngenbergK  and  Ackingsak;  and  the  other 
called  the  Northwest   kil,   because   it  extends  in  that 
direction,  runs  to  Ayuakenom,  of  which  we  will  speak 
hereafter.     We  sailed  inside  of  Schuiiefs  island,  although 
the  passage  is  very  small,  and  thus  obtained  the  in-running 
current;  because,  the  flood  tide  which  came  from  Ackter 
Ko/,2  and  that  from  the  North  river,  strike  each  other 
here,  and  thus  shoot  together  in  this  kil.    With  much  effort 
we  reached  the  point  of  Elizabeth's  kil,  where  we  were 
compelled  to  come  to  anchor,  at  four  o'clock.     We  all 
went  ashore,  and  lodged  for  the  night  in  the  house  of  the 
French  people,  of  whom  we  have  spoken  before,  and  who 
were  not  yet  rid  of  the  suspicion  they  had  conceived,  not- 
withstanding  the  declarations  we  had  made  to  the  contrary. 
We  all  slept  on  the  floor,  and  supped  upon  what  we  had 
brought  with  us.  We  were  no  sooner  in  the  house,  than  it 
began  to  rain  and  blow  hard  from  the  northwest,  and  to 
be  very  cold.    We  saw  herein  the  good  providence  of  the 
Lord  again,  whom  we  had  so  many  times,  during  our 
journeying,  so  visibly  perceived,  watching  and  protecting 
so  faithfully  those  who  cared  for  nothing,  except  for  him 
and  to  do  his  will. 

loth,  Wednesday.  It  still  blew  stiff  out  of  the  northwest,  so 
that  our  skipper  had  little  disposition  to  weigh  anchor  and 
get  under  sail,  especially  with  the  horses  on  board,  although 
we  would  have  willingly  proceeded.  It  was,  therefore, 
determined  that  the  horses  should  go  by  land  with  the 


1  Ell  achter  Kol,  Staten  island  sound. 
*  Newark  bay. 


WOODBRIDGE.  PISCATAWAY. 


169 


servant  and  brother  of  Ephraim,  and  the  quakers  resolved 
to  do  the  same.  The  rest  of  the  company  went  on  hoard 
the  boat,  and  after  taking  in  a  large  reef,  we  got  under 
sail,  with  a  head  wind,  but  ebb  tide.  It  blew  hard  and 
squally,  and  we  had  to  look  out  well,  with  sheets  in  hand. 
We  made  good  progress,  and  came  to  Smokers  Hoeck, 
which  is  about  half  way  of  Kil  achkr  Kol.  We  came  to 
anchor  here,  because  the  next  reach  was  directly  against 
the  wind,  and  it  blew  too  hard  to  tack.  We  all  stepped 
ashore  here,  and  went  on  foot  to  an  English  village  called 
Woodbridge,  where  we  should  find  the  horses.  Smoker's 
Hook  is  the  easterly  point  of  the  kil,  which  runs  up  to 
Woodbridge,  and  we  would  have  sailed  up  this  creek,  but 
it  was  ebb  tide.  We  passed  over  reasonably  fair  and  good 
land,  and  observed  particularly  fine  salt  meadows  on  the 
creek,  on  which  there  was  built  a  good  grist  mill,  and  over 
which  we  had  to  cross.  We  arrived  about  noon  or  one 
o'clock,  at  this  English  village.  Ephraim,  not  wishing  to 
go  with  his  family  to  the  ordinary  tavern,  went  to  another 
house  or  tavern,  where  he  had  been  many  times  before, 
and  where  the  people  were  under  some  obligations  to  him. 
But  he  could  not  lodge  there  now  ;  and  we  were,  therefore, 
compelled  to  go  to  the  common  tavern,  which  was  full  of 
persons,  sitting  drinking,  and  where  nothing  was  to  be 
obtained  except  that  vile  rum.  Nevertheless,  we  had  to 
pass  the  day  there,  waiting  for  the  boat  and  the  baggage ; 
but  these  did  not  come  up  to-day,  in  consequence  of  the 
hard  wind.  We  had,  therefore,  to  lie  down  here  upon  the 
ground  all  together,  on  a  little  hay,  as  we  had  done  last 
night. 

16th,  'Thursday.  The  weather  moderated  and  it  cleared 
up,  but  we  had  to  wait  till  about  noon,  before  the  goods 
arrived  from  the  boat,  which  the  skipper  had  to  bring  up 
in  a  canoe,  because  the  boat  could  not  come.  We  obtained 
here  another  horse,  making  five  horses  we  had,  and 
22 


170 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


another  servant  of  Ephraim.  We  then  dined,  and  politely 
took  our  leave  of  Madam  Van  Burgh,  the  mother  of 
Ephraim's  wife,  and  of  her  two  sisters,  who  had  come  to 
conduct  her  as  far  as  here,  and  from  here  were  to  return 
home  again  in  the  same  boat,  hut  the  little  brother  went 
with  us  to  the  south,  to  live  with  Ephraim.  It  was  then 
about  three  o'clock,  when  we  mounted  the  horses,  namely, 
Ephraim  and  his  wife  upon  the  best  one,  my  comrade  and 
myself  each  upon  the  one  we  had  obtained  at  Wood- 
bridge,  his  brother  and  servant  on  one,  and  the  other 
servant  upon  another.  Our  horses,  like  the  riders,  were 
very  poor.  We  proceeded  on,  however,  and  about  four 
o'clock  arrived  at  Pescatieway,  the  last  English  village  in 
New  Jersey,  for  thus  the  government  of  my  Lord  Carteret 
is  called ;  which  begins  on  the  west  side  of  the  North 
river,  and  extends  about  half  way  to  the  South  river, 
though  this  division  did  not  seem  to  me  to  be  well  made. 
We  rode  about  two  English  miles  through  Pescatteway, 
to  the  house  of  one  Mr.  Greenland,1  who  kept  an  ordinary 
(tavern)  there.  We  had  to  pass  the  night  here,  because 
it  was  the  place  of  crossing  the  Millstone  river,  which 
they  called  the  falls.  Close  by  there,  also,  was  the  dwel- 
ling of  some  Indians,  who  were  of  service  to  this  Mr. 
Greenland,  in  many  things.  We  were  better  lodged  and 
entertained  here,  for  we  slept  upon  a  good  bed,  and 
strengthened  ourselves  against  the  future. 

17//',  Friday.  As  the  water  was  high  in  the  kil  or 
Millstone  river,  Ephraim  would  not  ride  over  the  fall,  on 
account  of  the  current  of  water,  which  made  it  dangerous. 
He,  therefore,  determined  after  breakfast  we  should  be  set 
across  in  a  canoe,  and  the  horses  should  swim  across,  as 
they  did.  We  reached  the  other  side  about  nine  o'clock, 
and  proceeded  on  horseback.    The  road  from  here  to  the 


1  See  Whitehead's  Early  History  of  Perth  Amboy,  &c,  402. 


ROCKY  HILL.    FALLS  OF  THE  DELAWARE. 


171 


falls  of  the  South  river,  runs  for  the  most  part  W.  S.  W., 
and  then  W.  It  is  nothing  but  a  foot-path  for  men  and 
horses,  between  the  trees  and  through  the  small  shrubs, 
although  we  came  to  places  where  there  were  large  plains, 
beset  with  a  few  trees,  and  grown  over  with  long  grass, 
which  was  not  the  worst.  When  you  have  ridden  a  piece 
of  the  way,  you  can  see  over  the  lands  of  the  Nevesink, 
far  oft-  on  the  left  hand,  into  the  ocean,  affording  a  fine 
view.1  The  land  we  rode  over  was  neither  the  best,  nor 
the  worst.  The  woods  consist  of  reasonably  straight  oak 
and  hickory,  with  some  chestnut,  but  they  are  not  very 
close.  They  would,  therefore,  afford  tolerably  good  tillable 
land ;  but  we  observed  the  best  pieces  lay  here  and  there, 
along  the  creeks.  We  saw  many  deer  running  before  us, 
out  of  the  road,  sometimes  five  or  six  together,  starting 
off  at  the  sound  of  the  horses.  When  about  half  way,  you 
come  to  a  high,  but  very  rocky  hill,  which  is  very  difficult 
for  man  or  beast  to  walk  upon.  After  crossing  it,  you 
come  to  a  large  valley,  the  descent  to  which,  from  this  hill, 
is  very  steep,  by  a  very  shrubby  road;  and  you  must 
dismount,  in  order  to  lead  your  horses  down  carefully,  as 
well  as  to  descend  carefully  yourselves.  We  were  in  the 
middle  of  this  valley,  when  a  company  met  us  on  horse- 
back, from  the  South  river.  They  were  acquaintances  of 
Ephraim,  and  some  of  them  were  his  relations.  They 
wished  each  other  welcome,  and  mutually  inquired  after 
various  matters,  after  which  we  separated,  exchanging  one 
of  our  horses,  which  Ephraim's  brother  rode,  and  was  to 
be  sent  back  to  the  Manathans,  for  one  of  theirs,  which 
must  return  to  the  South  river.  We  rode  on  a  little 
further,  and  came  to  Millstone  river  again,  which  runs  so 
crookedly,  that  you  cross  it  at  three  different  places.  After 


1  The  highlands  of  Nevesink  are  281  feet  ahove  the  level  of  the  sea,  at 
their  highest  point. 


172 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


we  crossed  it  now,  we  took  the  bridles  from  the  horses,  in 
order  that  they  might  eat  something,  while  we  sat  down  and 
dined  together,  upon  what  we  had  in  our  traveling  hags. 
We  remounted  in  about  an  hour,  and  rode  on,  continuing 
our  way  and  course  as  before.    About  three  o'clock  we 
came  again  to  Millstone  river,  which  we  again  waded 
over,  but  it  had  gradually  become  smaller.  Resuming 
our  route,  we  arrived  at  the  falls  of  the  South  river  about 
sundown,  passing  a  creek  where  a  new  grist-mill  was 
erected  by  the  quakers,  who  live  hereabouts  in  great 
numbers,  and  daily  increase.    But  it  seemed  to  us  as  if 
this  mill  could  not  stand  long,  especially  if  the  flow  of 
water  were  heavy,  because  the  work  was  not  well  arranged. 
We  rode  over  here,  and  went  directly  to  the  house  of  the 
person  who  had  constructed  it,  who  was  a  quaker,  where 
we  dismounted,  and  willingly  dismissed  our  horses.  The 
house  was  very  small,  and  from  the  incivility  of  the 
immates  and  the  unfitness  of  the  place,  we  expected  poor 
lodgings.    As  it  was  still  daylight,  and  we  had  heard  so 
much  of  the  fells  of  the  South  river,  or,  at  least,  we 
ourselves  had  imagined  it,  that  we  went  back  to  the  river, 
in  order  to  look  at  them;  but  we  discovered  we  had 
deceived  ourselves  in  our  ideas.    We  had  supposed  it  was 
a  place,  where  the  water  came  tumbling  down  in  great 
quantity  and  force  from  a  great  height  above,  over  a  rock 
into  an  abyss,  as  the  word  falls  would  seem  to  imply,  and 
as  we  had  heard  and  read  of  the  falls  of  the  North  river, 
and  other  rivers.    But  these  falls  of  the  South  river  are 
nothing  more  than  a  place  of  about  two  English  miles  in 
length,  or  not  so  much,  where  the  river  is  full  of  stones, 
almost  across  it,  which  are  not  very  large,  but  in  conse- 
quence of  the  shallowness,  the  water,  runs  rapidly  and 
breaks  against  them,  causing  some  noise,  but  not  very 
much,  which  place,  if  it  were  necessary,  could  be  made 
navigable  on  one  side.    As  no  Europeans  live  above  the 


SHINGLED  HOUSES.  BURLINGTON. 


173 


falls,  they  may  so  remain.  This  milTer's  house  is  the 
highest  up  the  river,  hitherto  inhabited.  Here  we  had  to 
lodge ;  and  although  we  were  too  tired  to  eat,  we  had  to 
remain  sitting  upright  the  whole  night,  not  being  able  to 
find  room  enough  to  lie  upon  the  ground.  "We  had  a  fire, 
however,  but  the  dwellings  are  so  wretchedly  constructed, 
that  if  you  are  not  so  close  to  the  fire  as  almost  to  burn 
yourself,  you  cannot  keep  warm,  for  the  wind  blows 
through  them  everywhere.  Most  of  the  English,  and 
many  others,  have  their  houses  made  of  nothing  but 
clapboards,  as  they  call  them  there,  in  this  manner:  they 
first  make  a  wooden  frame,  the  same  as  they  do  in  West- 
phalia, and  at  Altona,  but  not  so  strong ;  they  then  split 
the  boards  of  clapwood,  so  that  they  are  like  cooper's 
pipe  staves,  except  they  are  not  bent.  These  are  made  very 
thin,  with  a  large  knife,  so  that  the  thickest  end  is  about 
a  -pinch  (little  finger)  thick,  and  the  other  is  made  sharp, 
like  the  edge  of  a  knife.  They  are  about  five  or  six  feet 
long,  and  are  nailed  on  the  outside  of  the  frame,  with  the 
ends  lapped  over  each  other.  They  are  not  usually  laid  so 
close  together,  as  to  prevent  you  from  sticking  a  finger 
between  them,  in  consequence  either  of  their  not  being 
well  joined,  or  the  boards  being  crooked.  When  it  is  cold 
and  windy  the  best  people  plaster  them  with  clay.  Such 
are  most  all  the  English  houses  in  the  country,  except 
those  they  have  which  were  built  by  people  of  other 
nations.  JSTow  this  house  was  new  and  airy;  and  as  the 
night  was  very  windy  from  the  north,  and  extremely  cold 
with  clear  moonshine,  I  will  not  readily  forget  it.  Ephraim 
and  his  wife  obtained  a  bed ;  hut  we  passed  through  the 
night  without  sleeping  much. 

18^A,  Saturday.  About  ten  o'clock,  after  we  had  break- 
fasted, we  stepped  into  a  boat,  in  order  to  proceed  on  our 
journey  down  the  river.  The  ebb  tide  was  half  run  out. 
Although  there  is  not  much  flood  tide  here,  as  it  is  stopped 


174 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


by  the  falls,  yet,  the  water  rises  and  falls  with  the  ebb  or 
flood,  or,  through  the  ebb  or  flood,  because,  the  water, 
although  it  runs  down,  increases  through  the  flood,  in 
consequence  of  its  being  forced  up,  and  is  diminished  with  the 
cbh,  because  the  ebb  gives  it  so  much  the  more  course  to  run 
down.    "We  went  along,  then,  moving  with  the  tide ;  hut 
as  Ephraim  was  suffering  with  the  quartan  ague,  and  it  was 
now  its  time  to  come  on,  we  had  to  go  and  lie  by  the  banks 
of  the  river,  in  order  to  make  a  fire,  as  he  could  not 
endure  the  cold  in  the  boat.    This  continued  for  about  an 
hour  and  a  half.   The  water  was  then  rising,  and  we  had  to 
row  against  the  current  to  Burliwjtvn,  leaving  the  island  of 
Mathuikonh?  lying  on  the  right  hand.   This  island,  formerly, 
belonged  to  the  Dutch  governor,  who  had  made  it  a 
pleasure  ground  or  garden,  built  good  houses  upon  it,  and 
sowed  and  planted  it.    He  also  dyked  and  cultivated  a 
large  piece  of  meadow  or  marsh,  from  which  he  gathered 
more  grain  than  from  any  land  which  had  been  made  from 
woodland  into  tillable  land.     The  English  governor  at  the 
Manathans,  now  held  it  for  himself,  and  had  hired  it  out  to 
some  quakers,  who  were  living  upon  it  at  present.    It  is 
the  best  and  largest  island  in  the  South  river;  and  is  about 
four  English  miles  in  length,  and  two  in  breadth.    It  lies 
nearest  to  the  east  side  of  the  river.    At  the  end  of  this 
island  lies  the  quakers'  village,  Burlington,  which  east  side 
of  the  river  the  quakers  have  entirely  in  their  possession, 
but  how  they  came  into  its  possession,  we  will  show  in 
another  place.     Before  arriving  at  this  village,  we  stopped 
at  the  house  of  one  Jacob  Hendricks,  from  Holstein,  living 
on  this  side.    He  was  an  acquaintance  of  Ephraim,  who 
would  have  gone  there  to  lodge,  but  he  was  not  at  home. 
We,  therefore,   rowed  on  to  the  village,  in  search  of 
lodgings,  for  it  had  been  dark  all  of  an  hour  or  more;  but 


1  Burlington  island,  formerly  also  called  Cbygoe's  island.  It  contains 
about  300  acres  of  land. 


LOG  HOUSES.   QUAKER  LEARNING.  175 

proceeding  a  little  further,  we  met  this  Jacoh  Hendricks,  in 
a  canoe  with  hay.  As  we  were  now  at  the  village,  we 
went  up  to  the  ordinary  tavern,  but  there  were  no  lodgings 
to  be  obtained  there,  whereupon  we  reembarked  in  the 
boat,  and  rowed  back  to  Jacob  Hendricks',  who  received 
us  very  kindly,  and  entertained  us  according  to  his  ability. 
The  house,  although  not  much  larger  than  where  we  were 
the  last  night,  was  somewhat  better  and  tighter,  being 
made  according  to  the  Swedish  mode,  and  as  they  usually 
build  their  houses  here,  which  are  block-houses,  being 
nothing  else  than  entire  trees,  split  through  the  middle,  or 
squared  out  of  the  rough,  and  placed  in  the  form  of  a 
square,  upon  each  other,  as  high  as  they  wish  to  have  the 
house;  the  ends  of  these  timbers  are  let  into  each  other, 
about  a  foot  from  the  ends,  half  of  one  into  half  of  the 
other.  The  whole  structure  is  thus  made,  without  a  nail 
or  a  spike.  The  ceiling  and  roof  do  not  exhibit  much 
finer  work,  except  among  the  most  careful  people,  who 
have  the  ceiling  planked  and  a  glass  window.  The  doors 
are  wide  enough,  but  very  low,  so  that  you  have  to  stoop 
in  entering.  These  houses  are  quite  tight  and  warm ; 
but  the  chimney  is  placed  in  a  corner.  My  comrade  and 
myself  had  some  deer  skins,  spread  upon  the  floor  to  lie 
on,  and  we  were,  therefore,  quite  well  off,  and  could  get 
some  rest.  It  rained  hard  during  the  night,  and  snowed 
and  froze,  and  continued  so  until  the 

19th,  Sunday,  and  for  a  considerable  part  of  the  day, 
affording  little  prospect  of  our  leaving.  At  noon  the 
weather  improved,  and  Ephraim  having  something  to  do 
at  Burlington,  we  accompanied  him  there  in  the  boat. 
"We  went  into  the  meeting  of  the  quakers,  who  went  to 
work  very  unceremoniously  and  loosely.  What  they 
uttered  was  mostly  in  one  tone,  and  the  same  thing,  and 
so  it  continued,  until  we  were  tired  out,  and  went  away. 
We  tasted  here,  for  the  first  time,  peach  brandy,  or  spirits, 


176 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


which  was  very  good,  hut  would  have  heen  better  if  it  had 
been  more  carefully  made.  Ephraim  remained  there  for 
the  evening,  and  we  returned  back  to  our  former  lodgings, 
where  we  slept  on  a  good  bed,  the  same  that  Epraim  and 
his  wife  had  the  night  before.  This  gave  us  great  comfort, 
and  recruited  us  greatly. 

20///,  Monday.  We  went  again  to  the  village  this  morning, 
and  entered  the  ordinary  exhorters'  house,  where  we 
breakfasted  with  quakers,  but  the  most  wordly  of  men  in 
all  their  deportment  and  conversation.  We  found  lying 
upon  the  window  a  volume  of  Virgil,  as  if  it  were  a  common 
hand-book,  and  also  Helmont's  book  on  Medicine1,  whom, 
in  an  introduction,  which  they  have  made  to  it,  they  make 
pass  for  one  of  their  sect,  although  in  his  life  time  he  did 
not  know  any  thing  about  quakers;  and  if  they  had  been 
in  the  world,  or  should  have  come  into  it,  while  he  lived, 
he  would  quickly  have  said,  no,  to  them;  but  it  seems 
these  people  will  make  all  those  who  have  had  any  genius, 
in  any  respect,  more  than  common,  pass  for  theirs;  which 
is  certainly  great  pride,  wishing  to  place  themselves  far 
above  all  others  ;  whereas,  the  most  of  them,  whom  I  have 
seen  as  yet,  are  miserably  self-minded,  in  physical  and 
religious  knowledge.  It  was  almost  noon  before  we  left. 
The  boat  in  which  we  had  come  as  far  as  there  with  its 
owner,  who  intended  to  return  in  it,  was  exchanged  for 


1  Jean  Baptiste  van  Ilelmont,  born  in  Brussels,  in  1577;  died  in  Holland 
in  1G44.  He  was  a  distinguished  alchemist  and  physician,  and  after  studying 
different  systems  of  medicine,  old  and  new,  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
wisdom  in  that  science  and  in  others,  was  to  be  acquired  by  prayer.  He 
was  the  first  person  to  designate  the  elastic  fluids,  other  than  air,  by  the 
term  gas.  The  results  of  his  treatment  of  patients  committed  to  his  charge, 
may  not  be  peculiarity  his  own ;  but  it  is  acknowledged  by  his  biographer, 
that  the  sick  never  languished  in  his  hands,  being  always  killed  or  cured 
in  three  days.  The  work  of  his,  on  medicine,  referred  to  in  our  text,  was 
probably  his,  Ortus  Medecina,  id  est,  initio  physka  iimudita,  progressus 
medkiiwz.  ?u>vus  in  morborum  ultionem  ad  vitam  longam.   Amsterdam,  1615. 


TACONY.   TINICUM  ISLAND. 


177 


another,  belonging  to  Upland,  of  which  a  quaker  was 
master,  who  was  going  down  with  several  others  of  the 
same  class ;  hut  as  it  was  half  ebb  tide,  and  the  shallop 
was  lying  far  up  in  the  mud,  no  one  of  these  zealous 
people  was  willing  to  bring  her  through  it,  into  the 
water.  Ephraim,  in  order  to  get  started,  and  to  shame 
them,  did  not  hesitate  long,  and  followed  by  his  servant 
and  both  of  us,  very  soon  had  the  boat  afloat  in  the  water. 
Pursuing  our  journey,  we  arrived  about  two  o'clock  at  the 
house  of  another  quaker,  on  the  west  side  of  the  river, 
where  we  stopped  to  eat  our  dinner  and  dry  ourselves.  We 
left  there  in  an  hour,  rowing  our  best  against  the  flood  tide, 
until,  at  dark,  we  came  to  Takanij,  a  village  of  Swedes  and 
Fins,  situated  on  the  west  side  of  the  river.  Ephraim 
being  acquainted,  and  having  business  here,  we  were  all 
well  received,  and  slept  upon  a  parcel  of  deer  skins. 
We  drank  very  good  beer  here,  brewed  by  the  Swedes, 
who,  although  they  have  come  to  America,  have  not 
left  behind  them  their  old  customs. 

21st,  Tuesday.  The  tide  falling,  we  set  out  with  the  day, 
and  rowed  during  the  whole  ebb  and  part  of  the  flood, 
until  two  or  three  o'clock,  when  we  arrived  at  the  island 
of  Tynakonk  (Tinicum),  the  fifth  we  had  passed.  Mantina- 
konk  and  this  Tinakonk,  are  the  principal  islands,  and  the  best 
and  the  largest.  The  others  are  of  little  importance,  and 
some  of  them,  whose  names  we  do  not  know,  are  all 
meadow  and  marsh,  others  are  only  small  bushes.  The 
pleasantest  thing  about  them  is,  they  afford  an  agreeable 
view  and  a  variety  to  the  traveler,  and  a  little  divertissement 
to  those  who  go  up  and  down  the  river:  also  some 
conveniences  for  fishing  in  the  river,  and  other  accommo- 
dations for  the  planters. 

This  Tinakonk,  is  the  island  of  which  M.  Arnout  de'  la 
Grange  had  said  so  much ;  but  we  were  much  disappointed 
in  comparing  it  with  what  he  had  represented,  and  what 
23 


178 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


M.  la  Motto  has  written  about  it.  The  first  mistake  is  in 
the  name,  which  is  not  Mutlnnhonh  —  the  name  probably  of 
the  island  of  which  we  have  spoken  before,  but  Timkcmk. 
It  lies  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  and  is  separated  from 
the  west  shore,  not  as  he  said,  by  a  wide  running  branch 
of  the  river,  as  wide  as  the  Eemster,  near  Amsterdam,  but 
by  a  small  creek,  as  wide  as  a  large  ditch,  running  through 
a  meadow.  It  is  long  and  covered  with  bushes,  and  inside 
somewhat  marshy.  It  is  about  two  miles  long,  or  a  little 
more,  and  a  mile  and  a  half  wide.  Although  there  are  not 
less  miles  than  he  said,  he  did  not  say  they  were  English 
miles,  which  are  only  one-fourth  the  length  of  Dutch 
miles,  of  fifteen  to  a  degree.  The  southwest  point,  which 
only  has  been  and  is  still  cultivated,  is  barren,  scraggy  and 
sandy,  growing  plenty  of  wild  onions,  a  weed  not  easily 
eradicated.  On  this  point  three  or  four  houses  are  standing, 
built  by  the  Swedes,  a  little  Lutheran  church  made  of  logs, 
and  the  remains  of  the  large  block-house,  which  served 
them  in  place  of  a  fortress,  with  the  ruins  of  some  log 
huts.  This  is  the  whole  of  the  manor.  The  best  and 
pleasantest  quality  it  has,  is  the  prospect,  which  is  very 
agreeable,  and  one  of  the  principal  things  for  which  Mons. 
la  Motto  recommends  it,  namely,  belle,  videre.  I  have  made 
a  sketch  of  it,  according  to  my  ability.  But  as  to  there 
being  a  mine  of  iron  ore  upon  it,  I  have  not  seen  any  upon 
that  island,  or  elsewhere ;  and  if  it  were  so,  it  is  of  no  great 
importance,  for  such  mines  are  so  common  in  this  countiy, 
that  little  account  is  made  of  them.  Although  Ephraim 
had  told  us  every  thing  in  regard  to  the  condition  of  the 
land,  as  well  as  the  claim  which  Mons.  de  la  Grange  makes 
to  it,  yet  we  ourselves  have  observed  the  former,  and 
have  ascertained  the  latter,  from  a  person  who  now  resides 
there,  which  is  as  follows  :  "When  the  Swedish  colony  was 
flourishing  under  its  own  government,  this  island  belonged 
a  lord  Papegay  (Papegoia),  the  Swedish  governor,  who 


FORT  NEW  GUTTENBURGH.    A  LAWSUIT.  179 

lived  upon  it,  and  cultivated  it,  the  church  and  the  fort, 
still  existing  there  as  monuments  to  prove  the  fact. 
Although  the  Swedes  have  had  fortresses,  from  time  to 
time,  in  several  other  places,  at  this  time,  this  was  called 
New  Gottenburgh.  This  governor  died,  leaving  a  widow ; 
and  she,  Madam  Papegay,  sold  the  island,  which  was  then 
very  flourishing,  to  the  father  of  de  la  Grange,  for  six 
thousand  guilders,  in  the  money  of  Holland,  though  the 
person  who  now  lives  upon  it  says  it  was  seven  thousand 
guilders,  to  he  paid  in  several  installments,  here  in  New 
Netherland.  Some  of  the  first  payments  were  duly  made 
by  de  la  Grange,  hut  the  last  two,  I  think,  he  was  not  so 
ready  to  make,  as  he  had  to  procure  the  money  from 
Holland,  and  that,  I  know  not  why,  did  not  come.  There- 
upon Mons.  de  la  Grange,  determined  to  go  to  Holland, 
himself,  and  bring  the  money  with  him ;  but  he  died  on 
the  voyage,  and  the  payments  were  not  made.  It  remained 
so  for  a  long  time,  and,  at  length,  the  widow  Papegay, 
cited  the  widow  de  la  Grange,  before  the  court,  claiming 
as  her  right,  payment  in  full,  or  restitution  of  the  land,  as 
de  la  Grange  had  been  in  possession  of  the  land  for  some 
years,  and  had  enjoyed  the  profits,  and  the  time  for  the  last 
payment  had  also  expired  some  years  before.  In  the  mean 
time  comes  one  Mons.  la  Motte,  who  it  seems  was  to 
assist  Madam  de  la  Grange,  either  by  discharging  the  debt, 
or  by  defending  the  suit,  and  in  order  the  better  to  do  so, 
he  buys  the  island  from  the  widow  de  la  Grange,  seeking 
her  also  in  marriage.  But  as  Madam  Papegay  persevered, 
and  the  affair  of  Mons.  la  Motte,  and  the  widow  de  la 
Grange,  came  to  nothing,  and  on  the  other  hand  the 
widow  de  la  Grange  could  not  deliver  the  land  to  M.  la 
Motte,  and  la  Motte  could  not  pay.  The  widow  de  la 
Grange  was,  therefore,  condemned  to  restore  the  island  to 
Madam  Papegay,  and  pay  her  costs,  and  also  to  pay  the 
income  which  she  had  received  from  the  island,  for  the 


180 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


time  hIic  had  lived  upon  it,  and  for  the  buildings  which 
she  had  allowed  to  go  to  waste.  Madam  de  la  Grange, 
conceiving  this  decree  to  be  unjust,  appealed  to  the  high 
court  —  the  country  having  in  the  mean  time  been  taken 
by  the  English  —  and  was  again  condemned,  and  therefore, 
had  to  deliver  up  the  land.  Now,  in  this  last  war  with 
Sweden,  Madam  Papegay,  who  has  two  brothers  in  Sweden, 
in  the  service  of  the  crown,  was  sent  for  by  them  to  come 
home,  whereupon,  she  sold  the  island  to  Mr.  OttoKvif1* 
Ilolsteiner,  who  now  lives  upon  it,  for  fifteen  hundred  guild- 
ers in  zccwant,  as  it  was  very  much  decayed  and  worn  out. 
Thia  is  three  hundred  guilders  in  the  money  of  Holland. 
Hereupon,  Madam  I'apegay  delivered  full  possession 
thereof,  to  this  Otto.  Now,  M.  Arnout  de  la  Grange,  as 
heir  of  his  father,  when  he  was  here  last  year,  laid  claim  to 
the  island  from  Mr.  Otto,  who  told  him  he  did  not  know 
him  in  the  matter,  and  if  M.  de  la  Grange  had  any  lawful 
claim,  he  must  not  apply  to  him,  but  to  the  court,  as  his 
possession  was  under  its  judgment;  but  if  M.  de  la  Grange 
wished  to  buy  it  from  him,  he  would  let  him  have  it  for 
three  hundred  pounds  sterling,  or  as  they  might  agree. 
Whereupon,  de  la  Grange  flewinto  a  passion,  and  threatened 
to  appeal  to  London.  "  That  you  can  do,"  said  Otto, 
"  if  you  have  money  enough.  All  this  affects  me  not, 
since  I  have  bought  and  paid  for  it,  and  have  been  put  in 
possession  of  it  by  order  of  the  court."  De  la  Grange  has 
not  proposed  to  purchase  the  island  again  of  Mr.  Otto, 
although  he  could  do  it  very  favorably,  notwithstanding 
Mr.  Otto  asked  so  much  for  it.  Ephraim  told  me  that  Mr. 
Otto  had  said  to  him,  confidentially,  that  in  case  he  could 
obtain  for  it  what  it  had  cost  him,  he  would  let  it  go,  as  he 
had  other  land  lying  elsewhere,  and  that  he  had  asked  so 
much  for  it,  merely  to  hear  what  he  (de  la  Grange)  would 


^tto  Ernest  Koch  or  Kock.    Hewasoneof  thejustices  on  the  Delaware. 


A  FAMOUS  QUAKERESS. 


181 


say,  and  in  order  to  scare  him.  Should  you  lay  out  three 
hundred  guilders  in  Holland  for  merchandise,  and  sell  it 
here,  which  usually  yields  an  hundred  per  cent  profit,  or  is 
so  reckoned  in  barter,  you  could  have  this  island  almost 
for  nothing,  or  at  least  for  very  little.  But  there  is  better 
land  to  be  bought  cheaper.  De  la  Grange  has  let  this  slip 
by,  and  it  seems  as  if  he  had  not  much  inclination  to  stir 
the  subject  any  more.  He  has  given  me  to  understand 
that  he  disregards  it,  or  at  least  regards  it  as  little  now,  as 
he  formerly  prized  and  valued  it ;  as  indeed  be  shows,  for 
he  has  now  bought  land  on  Christina  creek,  consisting  of 
two  or  three  old  plantations,  which,  perhaps,  are  not  much 
better  than  this  island,  and  cost  him  enough.  He  has 
obtained  another  piece  from  the  governor,  lying  between 
Burlington  and  the  falls,  on  the  west  side,  but  will  not 
accomplish  much  with  it.  I  forgot  to  mention  that  de  la 
Grange,  four  years  ago  when  he  was  in  Holland,  gave  one 
Mr.  Peter  Aldrix,  who  now  resides  on  the  South  river, 
and  is  one  of  the  members  of  the  court,  authority  to  make 
this  man,  Otto,  deliver  the  island  to  him,  which  Aldrix 
refused,  and  advised  him  that  he  was  well  assured  he  could 
not  accomplish  any  thing  with  it.  Yet  to  satisfy  la  Grange 
he  laid  the  matter  before  Mr.  Otto,  who  gave  him  the  same 
answer  he  had  given  la  Grange.  As  I  understand  and 
have  heard,  la  Grange  bases  his  claim  under  the  English 
law,  that  the  son  is-  the  heir  of  the  father's  possessions ;  but 
the  possession  of  the  father  being  disputed,  and  he  himself 
disinherited  by  two  courts,  the  claim  is  null  and  of  no  value.1 


1  The  accuracy  of  this  long  statement  in  regard  to  Tinicum,  its  settlement 
and  fortification  by  the  Swedes,  and  the  dispute  as  to  the  title,  is  not  less 
remarkable  than  its  minuteness.  Much  of  the  detail  given  here  is  new, 
but  many  of  the  leading  points  are  corroborated  by  the  records  of  the 
country,  and  by  judicious  writers,  early  and  late,  and  entire  confidence  is 
established,  therefore,  in  the  whole  account.    The  reader  may  consult 


182 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


When  we  arrived  at  this  island,  we  were  welcomed  hy 
Mr.  Otto,  late  medicus, and  entertained  at  his  house  accord- 
ing to  his  condition,  although  he  lives  poorly  enough.  In 
the  evening  there  also  arrived  three  quakers,  of  whom  one 
was  their  greatest  prophetess,  who  travels  through  the 
whole  country  in  order  to  quake.  Hhe  live?  in  Maryland, 
and  forsakes  husband  and  children,  plantation  and  all,  and 
goes  oft'  for  this  purpose.  She  had  been  to  Boston,  and 
Avas  there  arrested  by  the  authorities  on  account  of  her 
quakery.  This  worthy  personage  came  here  in  the  house 
where  we  were,  although  Ephraim  avoided  her.    They  sat 


Campanius  by  Du  Ponceau,  79;  Aerelius,  35-6;  Clay's  Annals,  23-5; 
Fcrri*'*  Original  Stttkment  on  the  Delaware,  61 ;  Record  of  Upland  Court, 
152-3;  Dr.  Smith's  Hist,  of  Delaware  Co.,  Pa.,  58,  97,  110, 123,  145,  519; 
and  Hazard'*  Annul*  of  Pa.,  400-1.  Two  last  named  writers  give  us 
sonic  minutes  of  the  trial  in  the  suit  of  Madam  Papegay,  against  .Madam 
de  la  Grange,  then  the  wife  of  Andrew  Carr,  which  took  place  in  New 
York,  in  October,  1672,  and  lasted  three  days.  We  also  learn  from  the 
same  authorities  that  the  controversy  in  relation  to  Tinicum,  did  not  end 
there,  as  our  journalist  supposed  it  would.  Three  or  four  years  after  he 
wrote  the  above  account,  a  suit  was  brought  by  M.  Arnout  or  Arnoldus 
de  la  Grange,  against  Mr.  Otto  Ernest  Cock,  for  the  possession  of  the 
island,  the  plaintiff  claiming  as  heir-at-law  of  his  father,  and  setting  forth 
that  at  the  time  of  the  former  trial  he  was  under  age,  and  in  Holland,  and, 
therefore,  could  make  no  defense ;  and  that  he  was  not  a  party  to  the 
action  which  was  commenced  against  Andrew  Carr  and  Priscilla,  his 
wife  mistaken  in  the  execution  for  the  plaintiffs  mother,  whose  name  was 
Margaretta.  The  parties  entered  into  an  agreement,  however,  pending  the 
trial,  in  accordance  with  which  the  jury  rendered  their  verdict  in  favor  of 
M.  de  la  Grange,  with  costs  and  forty  shillings  damages,  "  the  plaintiff 
paying  to  the  defendant  thirty-seven  pounds  and  ten  shillings,  and  also 
delivering  the  block-house  and  timbers  in  the  same  agreement  mentioned." 
The  last  trial  took  place  before  the  court  at  Chester,  under  the  jurisdiction 
of  William  Pcnn,  who  had  in  the  meantime  obtained  the  grant  of 
Pennsylvania.  Madam  Papegay  was  the  daughter  of  Governor  Printz, 
the  second  governor  of  the  Swedish  settlements,  on  the  Delaware,  who 
returned  to  Sweden  in  1653,  leaving  his  son-in-law  John  Papegay  or 
Papegoia  in  charge  of  the  place,  who  was  superseded  on  the  arrival  of 
Governor  Rising,  in  May,  1654. 


CHESTER.   A  DISPUTE. 


183 


by  the  fire,  and  drank  a  dram  of  rum  with  each  other,  and 
in  a  short  time,  afterwards  began  to  shake  and  groan  so, 
that  we  did  not  know  what  had  happened,  and  supposed 
they  were  going  to  preach,  but  nothing  came  out  of  it.  I 
could  not  endure  them,  and  went  out  of  doors.  They  left 
for  Upland,  which  is  three  or  four  miles  from  there  on  the 
same  side  of  the  river,  in  the  same  boat  in  which  we  came. 

22c?,  Wednesday.  It  was  rainy  all  this  day,  which  gave  us 
sufficient  time  to  explore  the  island.  "We  had  some  good 
cider  which  he  had  made  out  of  the  fruit  from  the  remains 
of  an  old  orchard  planted  by  the  Swedish  governor.  The 
persons  of  whom  we  have  before  spoken,  having  left  for 
Upland,  Ephraim  did  not  wish  to  go  there  because  he 
thought  they  would  preach ;  and  it  being  rainy,  and  no  fit 
boat  at  hand,  we  remained  here  the  whole  day.  We  saw 
an  ox  as  large  as  they  have  in  Friesland  or  Denmark,  and 
also  quite  fat — a  species  of  which  we  have  observed  more 
among  the  Swedes,  and  which  thrive  well.  It  clearing  up 
towards  evening,  we  took  a  canoe  and  came  after  dark  to 
Upland.  This  is  a  small  village  of  Swedes,  although  it  is 
now  overrun  by  English.  We  went  to  the  house  of  the 
quaker  who  had  brought  us  down,  and  carried  the  other 
persons  from  Tinakonk.  His  name  was  Robert  William- 
son or  Weert.1  We  found  here  the  prophetess  or  apostle-ess, 
with  her  company.  Among  others,  there  were  two 
widows,  who  were  at  variance,  and  whom  the  prophetess 
with  all  her  authority  and  spiritual  power  could  not  recon- 
cile, or  had  not  endeavored  to  do  so.    They  would  have 


1  Robert  Wade  is  the  person  meant.  He  came  over  to  this  country  in 
1G75,  in  company,  it  would  seem,  with  John  Fenwick,  the  early  proprietor 
and  settler  in  West  Jersey,  but  leaving  his  company,  settled  at  Upland  (now 
Chester),  in  the  same  year,  upon  land  of  Madam  Papegay,  called  Printz- 
dorp.  His  house  was  the  one  used  for  the  meetings  of  the  quakers. 
Smith's  History  of  Delaware  County,  103,  134,  549.  Record  of  Upland 
Court,  79. 


184 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DEL  AW  ARK. 


been  compelled  to  have  gone  before  the  court,  unless 
Ephraim  had  striven  his  best  to  make  them  adjust  the 
matter,  and  brought  them  to  a  settlement.  One  of  these 
widows,  named  Anna  Sailers,  lived  at  Takany,  and  was  one 
of  those  who,  when  a  certain  person  gave  himself  out  as 
the  Lord  Jesus,  and  allowed  himself  to  be  carried  around 
on  an  ass,  shouted  ITosanna  as  he  rode  over  their  garments, 
for  which  conduct  he  was  arrested,  his  tongue  bored  through 
with  a  red-hot  iron,  and  his  forehead  branded  with  a  B, 
for  blasphemer.  She  was  not  only  one  of  those,  but  she 
annointed  his  head  and  feet,  and  wiped  them  with  her  hair. 
The  other  widow,  named  Elizabeth,  was  also  one  of  the 
principal  persons.  She  lived  a  little  lower  down  than 
Takoncy,  on  the  same  side  of  the  river.  The  state  of  the 
difference  between  them  was  this.  They  had  agreed 
between  themselves  to  exchange  or  barter  their  planta- 
tions, and  each  made  a  writing  and  each  kept  her  own. 
Anna  Salters  afterwards  repented  her  bargain,  and  went  to 
Elizabeth,  and  desired  that  each  should  take  back  the 
writing  subscribed  by  her ;  but  it  so  happened  that  Anna 
Salters  went  away,  having  given  up  hers,  and  the  other 
not  being  then  to  be  found.  She  had  given  hers  to  Eliza- 
beth, supposing  she  would  afterwards  obtain  the  other;  but 
when  she  went  again  to  demand  it,  Etizabeth  said  the 
paper  had  become  wet,  and  in  her  attempting  to  dry  it,  was 
burnt  up.  It  was  believed  that  Elizabeth  had  the  two 
writings  in  her  possession,  and  consequently  both  planta- 
tions, which,  they  said,  she  wanted  to  sell  privately. 
"Whereupon  Anna  called  upon  her  to  restore  either  the 
deed  or  the  plantation.  Elizabeth  charged  that  Anna  was 
indebted  to  her  for  a  certain  amount  of  tobacco,  which  she 
had  taken  to  England  for  her,  and  of  which  she  had  never 
been  able  to  obtain  a  correct  account.  It  was  really  con- 
fusion and  rascality.  Elizabeth,  who  was  a  bad  person, 
appealed  always  to  some  papers  which  she  said  she  had  not 


THE  CASE  SETTLED.  PRINTZDORP. 


185 


with  her.  Ephraim  who  was  clerk  of  both  the  courts, 
namely,  of  Upland  and  New  Castle,1  wrote  down  separately 
from  the  beginning  the  claims  which  they  set  up  against 
each  other,  and  decided  that  the  plantations  should  be 
mutually  restored,  and  the  debts  balanced,  and  he  made 
them  agree  to  it,  although  Elizabeth  was  very  unwilling. 
Robert  "Wade,  who  is  the  best  quaker  we  have  yet  seen, 
and  his  wife,  who  is  a  good  woman,  were  both  troubled,  as 
they  said,  as  also  was  the  prophetess,  that  such  things  should 
take  place  among  their  people  before  strangers,  and  be 
settled  through  them,  and  when  there  were  other  strangers 
present.  Whereupon  Ephraim  said,  "  Who  do  you  sup- 
pose we  are  ?  Possibly  we  are  as  good  Christians  as  you 
are."  And  certainly  he  exhibited  something  more  chris- 
tianly  in  reconciling  and  pacifying  them  than  they  who 
brewed  this  work  had  done,  or  those  who  would  be  so  very 
devout  that  they  would  neither  speak  to  them  authori- 
tatively nor  admonish  them  with  kindness  to  any  effect. 
The  Lord  has  caused  us  to  see  this  example  that  we  might 
know  that  these  people  are  still  covetous,  and  that  almost 
all  of  them  are  attached  to  the  world  and  to  themselves — 
that  is,  they  are  worldly  people,  which  shows  the  holiness 
of  the  spirit  by  which  they  are  actuated!  As  regards 
Anna  Salters,  it  was  said  she  was  mundane,  carnal,  covetous, 
and  artful,  although  she  appeared  to  be  the  most  pious. 
Her  sayings  and  discussions  were  continually  mixed  up 
with  protestations  of  the  presence  and  omniscience  of 
God,  and  upon  the  salvation  of  her  soul,  so  truly  gross 
that  if  the  ordinary  boors  had  talked  so,  they  would  have 
been  punished  and  expelled.  But  what  are  not  those  people 
capable  of,  who  present  themselves  to  be  carried  away  as 


1  Ephraim  Hermans  was  appointed  "  clerk  of  the  court  of  Newcastle 
in  Delaware,  and  of  Upland  in  the  river,"  hy  Governor  Andros,  on  the 
23d  September,  1G76.    Breeiate,  Penn.  vs.  Calvert,  45. 

24 


180 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


we  have  mentioned  above ;  as  well  as  others  in  this  country, 
who  publish  and  declare  one,  that  she  is  Mary  the  mother 
of  the  Lord;  another,  that  she  is  Mary  Magdalen,  and 
others  that  they  are  Martha,  John,  &c,  scandalizers,  as  we 
heard  them  in  a  tavern,  who  not  only  so  called  themselves, 
but  claimed  to  he  really  such.  For  this  reason,  Mr.  Wade 
would  no  longer  have  them  in  his  house,  making  them 
leave,  although  it  was  well  in  the  evening ;  for  the  Wades 
said  they  could  not  endure  it.  Indeed,  God  the  Lord  will 
not  let  that  pass  by,  for  it  is  not  far  from  blasphemy.  lie 
will  bring  them  to  justice,  if  they  be  of  his  elect. 

It  was  very  late  in  the  evening,  in  consequence  of  this 
dispute,  before  we  supped  and  went  to  sleep.  We  were 
taken  to  a  place  to  sleep  directly  before  an  open  window, 
to  which  there  was  no  shutter,  so  that  it  could  not  be 
closed,  and  as  the  night  was  very  cold,  and  it  froze  hard, 
we  could  scarcely  keep  ourselves  warm. 

23d,  Thursday.  It  was  late  before  we  left  here,  and  we 
therefore  had  time  to  look  around  a  little,  and  see  the 
remains  of  the  residence  of  Madame  Papegay,  who  had 
had  her  dwelling  here  when  she  left  Tiruikonk.  We  had 
nowhere  seen  so  many  vines  together  as  we  saw  here,  which 
had  been  planted  for  the  purpose  of  shading  the  walks  on 
the  river  side,  in  between  the  trees.  The  dinner  being 
ready,  I  was  placed  at  the  table  next  to  the  beforenamed 
prophetess,  who  while  they  all  sat  at  the  table,  began  to 
groau  and  quake  gradually  until  at  length  the  whole  bench 
shook.  Then  rising  up  she  began  to  pray,  shrieking  so 
that  she  could  be  heard  as  far  as  the  river.  This  done,  she 
was  quickly  in  the  dish,  and  her  mouth  began  immediately 
to  prate  worldly  and  common  talk  in  which  she  was  not  the 
least  ready.  When  the  meal  was  finished,  Ephraim 
obtained  a  horse  for  himself  and  his  wife,  and  we  followed 
him  on  foot,  carrying  our  traveling  bags.  Our  host  took 
us  to  the  path,  and  Ephraim's  servant  was  to  act  as  our 


FORT  CHRISTINA.  NEWCASTLE. 


187 


guide.  In  traveling  along  we  observed  the  difference 
between  tbe  soil  on  the  North  river  and  this,  and  also  that 
this  difference  was  not  so  great  as  is  usually  asserted. 
After  we  had  proceeded  about  three  hours,  our  guide 
missed  the  way,  and  we  had  gone  a  good  distance  before 
he  became  aware  of  it,  and  would  have  gone  on  still  further 
if  we  had  not  told  him  that  we  thought  the  course  we  were 
going  was  wrong.  We  therefore  left  one  road,  and  went 
straight  back  in  search  of  the  other  which  we  at  length 
found.  A  man  overtook  us  who  was  going  the  same  way. 
and  we  followed  him.  We  crossed  the  Sckiltpadts  kil 
(Tortoise  or  Turtle  creek),  where  there  was  a  fall  of  water 
over  the  rocks,  affording  a  site  for  a  grist-mill  which  was 
erected  there.  This  Sckiltpadts  kil  is  nothing  but  a  branch 
or  arm  of  Christina  kil 1  into  which  it  discharges  itself,  and 
is  so  named  on  account  of  the  quantities  of  tortoises  which 
are  found  there.  Having  crossed  it  we  came  to  the  house 
of  the  miller  who  was  a  Swede  or  Holsteiner  whom  they 
usually  call  Tapoesie.  He  was  short  in  person,  but  a  very 
friendly  fellow.  Ephraim  had  told  us  we  would  find  him 
such  as  we  did,  for  he  had  ridden  there  before  us.  He  had,  as 
it  appeared,  several  well-behaved  children,  among  whom 
was  a  little  girl  who  resembled  very  much  our  little  Judith 
in  her  whole  countenance  and  figure,  and  was  about  the 
same  age,  and  had  she  met  us  by  our  house,  I  should  have 
considered  her  Judith.  Her  name  was  Anne  Mary.  We 
were  welcome  here,  and  were  entertained  according  to  the 
man's  circumstances. 

24th,  Friday.  Ephraim  having  some  business  here,  we  did 
not  leave  very  speedily.  This  miller  had  shot  an  animal  they 
call  a  muskrat,  the  skin  of  which  we  saw  hanging  up  to  dry. 
He  told  us  they  were  numerous  in  the  creeks.    We  asked 


1  The  SJidpot  is  evidently  a  corruption  of  this  name,  though  probably  the 
Brandywine  is  here  meant. 


188 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


them  why  they  gave  them  that  name,  and  he  said  became 
thoy  smelt  so,  especially  their  testicles,  which  he  had  pre- 
served of  this  one,  and  gave  my  comrade,  remarking  that 
they  were  intended  for  some  amateur  or  other,  and  he  could 
do  little  with  them.  The  muskrat  is  not  larger  than  the 
common  rat.  It  has  gray  hair,  and  the  fleece  is  sometimes 
sold  with  other  peltries,  hut  it  is  not  worth  much,  although 
it  has  some  odor.  It  was  ahout  noon  when  we  were  set 
across  the  creek  in  a  canoe.  "We.  proceeded  thence  a  small 
distance  over  land  to  a  place  where  the  fortress  of  Chris- 
tina had  stood  which  had  heen  constructed  and  possessed 
hy  the  Swedes,  hut  taken  by  the  Dutch  governor,  Stuy- 
vesant,  and  afterwards,  I  believe,  demolished  by  the  Eng- 
lish. AVe  went  into  a  house  here  belonging  to  some 
Swedes,  with  whom  Ephraim  had  some  business.  "We 
were  then  taken  over  Christina  creek  in  a  canoe,  and  landed 
at  the  spot  where  Stuyvesant  threw  up  his  battery  to  attack 
the  fort,  and  compelled  them  to  surrender.  At  this  spot 
there  are  many  medlar  trees  which  bear  good  fruit  from 
which  one  Jaquel,  who  does  not  live  far  from  there,  makes 
good  brandy  or  spirits,  which  we  tasted  and  found  even 
better  than  French  brandy.  Ephraim  obtained  a  horse  at 
this  Jaquetfs,  and  rode  on  towards  Santhoek,  now  Newcastle, 
and  we  followed  him  on  foot,  his  servant  leading  the  way. 
AVe  arrived  about  four  o'clock  at  Ephraim's  house,  where 
we  congratulated  each  other,  and  were  glad,  thanking  the 
Lord  in  our  hearts  for  his  constantly  accompanying  grace. 
"We  found  here  the  young  brother  of  the  wife  with  the  ser- 
vant, who  had  come  with  the  horses  from  the  falls  overland, 
and  had  been  at  the  house  several  days.  "We  also  saw  here 
Ephraim's  sister,  Miss  Margaret  Hermans,  who  showed  us 
much  kindness.  She  was  a  little  volatile,  but  of  a  sweet 
and  good  disposition.  She  had  been  keeping  house  during 
the  absence  of  Ephraim.  Truly  the  Lord  has  in  all  these 
things  been  very  good  to  us,  for  we  knew  not  where  to  go, 


JOHN  MOLL.    PETER  ALDRICHS. 


189 


and  he  has  directed  us  among  these  people,  who  have  done 
out  of  love  what  they  have  shown  us.  We  knew  not 
where  to  lodge,  and  he  has  provided  us  lodgings  where  we 
were  so  free  and  had,  according  to  the  circumstances  of 
the  time,  what  we  desired.  We  hope  and  doubt  not  the 
Lord  will  visit  that  house  in  grace,  and  even  gives  us  some 
assurances  in  what  we  have  seen. 

2b(h,  Saturday.  We  rested  a  little  to-day.  Ephraim  and 
his  wife  and  we  ourselves  had  several  visits  from  different 
persons  who  came  to  welcome  us,  as  Mons.  Jan  Moll,1  whom 
we  had  conversed  within  New  York,  and  who  now  offered 
us  his  house  and  all  things  in  it,  even  pressing  them  upon 
us.  But  we  were  not  only  contented  with  our  present  cir- 
cumstances, hut  we  considered  that  we  would  not  be  doing 
right  to  leave  Ephraim's  house  without  reason.  We  there- 
fore thanked  him,  but  nevertheless  in  such  a  manner,  that 
we  took  notice  of  his  kindness,  and  answered  accordingly. 


1  Mr.  John  Moll  was  a  person  of  considerable  distinction  in  the  affairs 
of  Newcastle  and  the  Delaware,  for  many  years.  He  was  one  of  the  jus- 
lues  of  the  court  at  Newcastle  during  the  whole  period  of  the  Duke  of 
York's  government,  and  was  for  some  time  its  presiding  justice.  That 
court  was  an  appellate  tribunal  from  all  the  other  courts  on  the  river.  He 
was  named  as  commissioner  in  conjunction  with  Ephraim  Hermans,  in 
the  deed  of  feoffment  from  the  Duke  of  York  to  William  Penn,  to  give 
possession  and  seisin  of  the  town  of  Newcastle,  and  a  circle  of  land  twelve 
miles  around  it,  a  duty  which  they  performed.  His  account  of  the  cere- 
mony is  curious.  He  certifies  that  on  the  first  arrival  of  Mr.  Penn  from 
England  at  Newcastle  in  October,  1G62,  and  after  considering  for  twenty- 
four  hours  the  deeds  which  Mr.  Penn  showed  him  from  the  Duke  of  York, 
we  did  "  by  virtue  of  the  powers  given  us  by  the  said  letters  of  attorney, 
give  and  surrender  in  the  Duke's  name  to  Mr.  Penn,  actual  and  peaceable 
possession  of  the  fort  at  Newcastle,  by  giving  him  the  key  thereof  to  lock 
upon  himself  alone  the  door;  which,  being  opened  by  him  again,  we  did 
deliver  to  him  again  also  one  turf,  with  a  twig  upon  it,  a  porringer  with 
river  water  and  soil,  in  part  of  all  that  was  specified  in  the  said  indenture 
and  according  to  the  true  intent  and  meaning  thereof."  Breviate,  Penn  vs. 
Calvert,  52-4-5.  Hazard's  Annals  of  Penn,  GOG-7.  Our  journalist  subse- 
quently furnishes  some  particulars  in  relation  to  Mr.  Moll  and  his  family. 


190 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


Peter  Ablrix1  also  showed  us  much  attention,  as  did  others, 
to  all  of  whom  we  returned  our  thanks.  We  went  out  to 
view  this  little  place,  which  is  not  of  much  moment,  con- 
sisting of  only  forty  or  fifty  houses.  There  is  a  fine  pro- 
spect from  it,  as  it  lies  upon  a  point  of  the  river  where  I 
took  a  sketch. 

26th,  Sunday.  We  went  to  the  church,  hut  the  minister, 
Tessemaker,  who  has  to  perform  service  in  three  places, 
over  the  river,  Newcastle,  and  Apoquemenf  was  to-day 
over  the  river,  and  there  was,  therefore,  nothing  done, 
except  what  was  done  by  a  poor  limping  clerk,  as  he  was 
a  cripple  and  poor  in  body.  He  read  from  a  book  a 
sermon,  or  short  explanation,  and  sung  and  made  a 
prayer,  if  it  may  be  called  such,  and  tjien  the  people  went 
home.  In  the  afternoon  there  was  a  prelection  again 
about  the  catechism. 

27th,  Monday.  The  weather  was  sharp  and  windy.  "We 
had  intended  to  proceed  on  our  journey  but  we  could  not 
very  well  do  so.  My  comrade  had  also  been  indisposed  in 
the  night.  \Ve  therefore  waited  for  the  opportunity  which 
the  Lord  would  present.  Meanwhile  we  had  another  visit. 
Ephraim  advised  us  to  wait  a  day  or  two  until  his  brother, 
Casparus  Hermans,  whom  he  expected  there,  should  arrive, 
and  who  would  conduct  us  farther  into  Maryland. 

28th,  Tuesday.  Little  transpired  while  we  were  waiting 
to-day,  except  that  we  spoke  to  several  persons  of  the  way 
of  the  Lord,  and  particularly  to  the  sister  of  Ephraim, 
Miss  Margaret,  who  received  with  some  favor  what  was 


'Peter  Aldricks  or  Alrichs  was  the  nephew  of  Jaeoh  Alrichs,  first  vice 
director  of  the  colony  estahlished  at  New  Amstel,  afterwards  Newcastle, 
by  the  city  of  Amsterdam,  in  1657,  and  probably  came  over  with  him.  He 
was  commissary  at  that  colony  at  the  time  of  the  English  conquest,  and 
was  subsequently  appointed  by  Governor  Colve,  commander  and  schout 
of  the  South  river.  His  lands  were  confiscated  by  the  English  govern- 
ment.   Colonial  History,  II,  111,  114;  III,  115. 

2  Apoquinimink. 


A  PLANTATION  ON  THE  DELAWARE.  191 


said  to  her,  and  also  to  Ephraim  and  his  wife,  who  we 
hope  will  bring  forth  the  seed  the  Lord  has  sown  in  them, 
in  his  own  time. 

29th,  Wednesday.  "We  were  still  waiting,  although 
Ephraim  had  sent  for  his  brother ;  but  we  obtained  tidings 
that  he  had  gone  to  Maryland,  and  was  coming  back  home 
immediately,  as  he  had  gone  to  visit  his  father  who  lives 
at  the  entrance  into  Maryland  and  was  sick. 

80th,  Thursday.  The  weather  had  been  cold  and  windy, 
but  had  now  cleared  up ;  so  that  some  of  the  servants  of 
Casparus  came,  who  confirmed  the  account  that  their 
master  had  gone  to  Maryland,  but  they  were  expecting 
him  home.  "Whereupon  Mons.  Moll  who  had  to  go  to  one 
of  his  plantations  lying  on  tbe  road  leading  to  Casparus's 
house,  requested  us  to  accompany  him,  so  that  the  servants 
of 'Casparus  on  their  return  home  would  find  us  at  his 
place  and  take  us  on  to  the  house  of  Casparus.  We  ac- 
cordingly started,  Mr.  Moll  riding  a  horseback  and  we 
following  him  on  foot,  carrying  our  traveling  sacks,  but 
sometimes  exchanging  with  him,  and  thus  also  riding  a 
part  of  the  way.  This  plantation  of  his  is  situated  about 
fifteen  mi^es  from  Newcastle.  It  was  about  ten  o'clock  in 
the  morning  when  we  took  leave  of  our  friends  and  left. 
"We  passed  through  a  tolerably  good  country,  but  the  soil 
was  a  little  sandy,  and  it  was  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
when  we  reached  the  plantation.  There  were  no  persons 
there  except  some  servants  and  negroes,  the  commander 
being  a  Parisian.  The  dwellings  were  very  badly  ap- 
pointed, especially  for  such  a  man  as  Mons.  Moll.  There 
was  no  place  to  retire  to,  nor  a  chair  to  sit  on,  or  a  bed  to 
sleep  on.  For  their  usual  food  the  servants  have  nothing  but 
maize  bread  to  eat,  and  water  to  drink,  which  sometimes  is 
not  very  good  and  scarcely  enough  for  life,  yet  they  are 
compelled  to  work  hard.  They  are  brought  from  England 
in  great  numbers  into  Maryland,  Virginia  and  the  Menades 


192  JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 

mid  sold  each  one  according  to  his  condition,  for  a  certain 
term  of  years,  four,  live,  six,  seven  or  more.  And  thus 
they  are  by  hundreds  of  thousands  compelled  to  spend 
their  lives  here  and  in  Virginia,  and  elsewhere  in  planting 
that  vile  tobacco,  which  all  vanishes  into  smoke,  and  is  for 
the  most  part  miserably  abused.  It  is  the  chief  article  of 
trade  in  the  country.  If  they  only  wished  it  they  could 
have  every  thing  for  the  support  of  life  in  abundance,  for 
they  have  land  and  opportunity  sufficient  for  that  end;  but 
this  insatiable  avarice  must  be  fed  and  sustained  by  the 
bloody  sweat  of  these  poor  slaves.  After  we  had  supped, 
Mr.  Moll,  who  would  be  civil,  wished  us  to  lie  upon  a  bed 
that  was  there,  and  he  would  lie  upon  a  bench,  which  we 
declined;  and  as  this  continued  some  length  of  time  I  lay 
down  on  a  heap  of  maize,  and  he  and  my  comrade  after- 
wards did  the  same.  This  was  very  uncomfortable  and 
chilly,  but  it  had  to  go  so. 

December  1st,  Friday.  Mr.  Moll  wishing  to  do  us  every 
kindness,  as  he  indeed  did  do  many,  wrote  addresses  which 
might  be  serviceable  to  us  in  Maryland,  for  he  was  not 
only  very  well  known  there,  but  had  influence  among  the 
people  by  reason  of  the  trade  they  had  with  each  other, 
and  of  his  being  a  member  of  the  court,  and  having  some 
authority.  He  also  gave  us  some  letters  of  recommenda- 
tion and  credit  in  case  we  might  have  any  necessity  for 
the  latter,  in  all  which  he  indeed  showed  he  had  an  affec- 
tion for  us.  After  we  had  breakfasted,  the  servants  of 
Casparus  not  having  arrived,  he  himself  conducted  us  to 
one  of  the  nearest  plantations  where  his  cooper  was,  who 
had  also  something  to  do  for  Casparus,  and  would  conduct 
us  farther  on,  as  took  place ;  and  we  arrived  about  three 
o'clock  at  the  house  of  Casparus.  But  he  had  not  yet 
come  home  nor  had  the  servants  arrived,  for  whom  we  had 
been  waiting. 

2d,  Saturday.  We  waited  here  all  this  day,  and  had  time 


AUGUSTINE  HEERMANS.  BOHEMIA. 


193 


and  opportunity  to  explore  this  place,  which  thgy  call  Au- 
gustine. We  found  it  well  situated,  and  would  not-  badly 
suit  us.  There  are  large  and  good  meadows  and  marshes 
near  it,  and  the  soil  is  quite  good.  It  has  much  good  tim- 
ber and  a  very  fine  prospect,  for  looking  from  the  strand 
you  can  see  directly  south  into  the  mouth  of  the  hay,  as 
this  place  lies  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  in  a  bend.  There 
is  much  land  attached  to  it,  which  he  purchased  from  the 
Indians  for  almost  nothing,  or  nothing  to  signify.  Towards 
evening  two  Englishmen  and  a  quaker  stopped  here 
to  pass  the  night  who  were  also  going  to  Maryland. 

3d,  Sunday.  The  Englishmen  left  this  morning  at  day- 
light, and  after  breakfast  we  determined  also  to  leave, 
delivering  a  letter,  which  Ephraim  had  given  us  for  his 
brother,  to  his  wife.  We  started  at  nine  o'clock,  and  fol- 
lowed a  large  broad  wagon  road,  which  Casparus  had 
made  through  the  woods,  from  his  house  to  his  father's 
who  lived  in  the  uppermost  part  of  Maryland,  that  is,  as 
high  up  as  it  is  yet  inhabited  by  Christians.  This  road  is 
about  twenty-two  miles  long,  and  runs  almost  due  west, 
but  a  little  more  northerly  than  southerly.  When  we 
were  about  half  way  we  met  Casparus  on  horseback  with 
a  cart,  his  wife  having  described  him  to  us.  We  told  him 
we  had  been  to  his  house  waiting  for  him,  and  had  left  a 
letter  there  for  him  from  his  brother.  He  regretted,  he 
said,  he  had  not  known  it  and  was  not  at  home,  but  he 
hoped,  and  so  did  we,  that  we  would  be  able  to  converse 
together  on  our  return,  and  with  this  we  pursued  our  re- 
spective roads.  It  was  very  warm  to-day,  and  we  were  all 
in  a  perspiration.  We  reached  Augustynus  Hermans  the 
father  of  these  two  brothers,  about  three  o'clock.  Augus- 
tine Hermans  is  a  Bohemian,  and  formerly  lived  on  the 
Manathans,  and  had  possessed  farms  or  plantations  there, 
but  for  some  reason,  I  know  not  what,  disagreeing  with 
the  Butch  governor,  Stuyvesant,  he  repaired  to  this  place, 
25  ' 


I!»4 


JOURNEY  TO  TIIF.  DELAWARE. 


which  is  laid  down  upon  a  complete  map,  which  he  lias 
made  of  Maryland  and  Virginia,  where  he  is  very  well 
acquainted,  which  map  he  has  dedicated  to  the  king.  In 
consequence  of  his  having  done  the  people  of  these  two 
countries  a  great  service,  he  has  been  presented  with  a 
tract  of  land  of  about  a  thousand  or  twelve  hundred  acres, 
which  he,  knowing  where  the  hest  land  was,  has,  chosen 
up  here,  and  given  it  the  uame  of  Bohemia.  It  is  a  nohlc 
piece  of  land,  indeed  the  hest  we  have  seen  in  all  our 
journey  south,  having  large,  thick,  and  high  trees,  much 
black  walnut  and  chestnut,  as  tall  and  straight  as  a  reed. 

It  was,  then,  on  this  day  and  at  this  plantation,  that  we 
made  our  entry  into  Maryland,  which  was  so  named,  I 
helieve,  in  the  time  of  Queen  Maria,1  when  it  was  discov- 
ered or  began  to  be  settled.  It  is  a  large  territory,  but  has 
as  yet  no  fixed  boundaries,  except  only  on  the  south  where 
it  is  separated  from  Virginia  by  a  straight  line  running  west- 
erly from  2  to  the  river.    All  north  of  this  line  is 

Maryland,  and  all  south  of  it  Virginia.  On  the  east  it  is 
bounded  by  Xew  Netherland,  but  that  line  is  undefined ; 
and  on  the  north  and  west  indefinitely  by  the  Indians. 
The  principal  rivers  are  on  the  east  side  of  the  bay. 

Maryland  is  considered  the  most  fertile  portion  of  North 
America,  and  it  were  to  be  wished  that  it  was  also  the 
most  healthy,  though  it  is  more  healthy  than  its  neighbor, 
Virginia,  which  has  to  give  passage  by  water  through  the 
great  bay  of  (the  Chesapeake),  to  Maryland.    It  is  also 


1  Henrietta  Maria,  consort  of  Charles  I. 

2  This  point  could  not  well  have  been  given  at  that  time  by  the  jour- 
nalist or  any  bodv  else,  and  therefore  is  left  blank  by  him.  According  to 
the  description  of  this  line  in  the  charter  of  Maryland  to  Lord  Baltimore 
by  Charles  I,  it  is,  "  a  right  line  drawn  from  the  promontory,  or  headland, 
called  Watkins  Point,  situated  upon  the  bay  aforesaid  (Chesapeake)  near 
the  liver  "Wighco,  on  the  west  unto  the  main  ocean  on  the  east."  Boz- 
man,  II,  10. 


SASSAFRAS  RIVER.    THE  CHESAPEAKE.  195 

very  rich  in  fish  as  well  as  in  all  kinds  of  water  fowl. 
There  are  few  Indians  in  comparison  with  the  extent  of 
country.  "When  the  English  first  discovered  and  settled 
Virginia  and  Maryland,  they  did  great  (wrong)  to  these 
poor  people,  and  almost  exterminated  them. 

To  return  to  Augustine  Hermans,  he  was  sick  when  we 
arrived  at  his  house.  We  found  there  the  three  English- 
men hefore  mentioned,  who  had  left  the  house  of  Casparus 
in  the  morning.  They  were  ahout  proceeding  further  on 
their  journey.  We  delivered  to  Augustine  a  letter  from 
his  son  Ephraim,  and  related  to  him  how  we  had  traveled 
with  him  from  the  Manathans,  and  how  he  was,  which 
rejoiced  him.  Becoming  thus  acquainted  he  showed  us 
every  kindness  he  could  in  his  condition,  as  he  was  very 
miserable,  both  in  soul  and  body.  His  plantation  was 
going  much  into  decay,  as  well  as  his  body  for  want  of 
attention.  There  was  not  a  Christian  man,  as  they  term 
it,  to  serve  him ;  nobody  but  negroes.  All  this  was  in- 
creased by  a  miserable,  doubly  miserable  wife;  but  so 
miserable  that  I  will  not  relate  it  here.  All  his  children 
have  been  compelled  on  her  account  to  leave  their  father's 
house.  He  spoke  to  us  of  his  land,  and  said  he  would 
never  sell  or  hire  it  to  Englishmen,  but  would  sell  it  to  us 
cheap,  if  we  were  inclined  to  buy.  But  we  satisfied  our- 
selves and  him  by  looking  at  it  then,  hoping  that  we  might 
see  each  other  on  our  return.  We  were  directed  to  a 
place  to  sleep,  but  the  screeching  of  the  wild  geese  and 
other  wild  fowl  in  the  creek  before  the  door,  prevented  us 
from  having  a  good  sleep,  though  it  answered. 

4:th,  Monday.  After  breakfast  we  were  set  over  this  creek, 
or  Bohemia  river,  in  a  canoe,  after  Augustine  had,  as  the 
head  man  of  the  place,  signed  the  passport  which  Mr. 
Moll,  Ephraim  and  Aldrix  had  given  us.  Our  first  address 
was  to  one  Mr.  Van  Waert,  who  had  arrived  from  England 
the  day  before,  and  who  gave  us  little  news,  except  that  a 


196 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


certain  skipper  Jacob,  who  lived  at  the  Mamthans,  had 
left  England  some  days  before  him,  bound  there.  We 
were  glad  of  this,  thinking  we  would  receive  some  letters 
from  Fatherland,  as  we  bad,  when  we  were  at  New  Castle, 
written  to  our  hostess  at  New  York,  that  in  case  the 
skippe  r  Jacob  had  letters  for  us,  she  should  send  them  to 
the  South  river.  Towards  evening  we  came  to  a  Swede's, 
named  Mouns,  where  wc  had  to  he  put  across  a  creek, 
after  we  had  mistaken  the  road.  We  spent  the  night  with 
him,  and  were  entirely  welcome.  He  and  his  wife  and 
some  of  his  children  spoke  good  Dutch,  and  conversed 
with  us  about  various  matters  concerning  the  country. 

5th,  Tuesday.  Wc  left  after  breakfast,  and  he  took  us 
upon  the  road  to  go  to  Captain  Frishy's.  Leaving  Mr. 
Jilarfafoiie's  plantation  on  the  right  hand  of  Frisby's,  we 
came  to  the  court  house  standing  on  the  Sassafras  river, 
which  is  also  an  ordinary.  We  requested  to  be  taken  over 
the  river,  as  there  is  a  ferry  here,  which  they  did,  and  it 
cost  us  each  an  English  shilling.  We  then  traveled  along 
the  river  until  we  came  to  a  small  creek,  which  runs  very 
shallow  over  the  strand  into  the  river.  Here  we  had  to 
take  off  our  shoes  and  stockings  in  order  to  cross  over, 
although  it  was  piercing  cold.  We  continued  some 
distance  further,  along  the  river,  to  the  Great  bay,  when 
we  came  to  another  creek  and  called  out  to  be  taken  across, 
which  was  done.  The  road  was  shown  us  further  on  to 
Mr.  Howd's,  where  we  had  a  letter  of  recommendation 
and  credit  to  deliver  Captain  Seybry,  who  was  not  at  home, 
but  had  gone  to  the  ships  which  had  arrived.  So  we  gave 
the  letter  to  Mr.  Hov:el,  to  hand  to  Mr.  Seybry.  We  slept 
here  this  night,  and  were  welcome. 

6th,  Wednesday.  This  morning  we  crossed  a  creek,  and 
were  shown  the  way  to  another  plantation,  where  we 
would  be  set  over  still  another.  To  this  plantation  we 
soon  came,  but  the  people  excused  themselves  from  taking 


KENT  COUNTY,  AND  ITS  FIRST  PLANTERS.  197 


us  over,  saying  that  their  canoe  was  not  at  home,  and  sent 
us  to  another  plantation  on  the  right.  We  •  crossed  there 
and  saw  on  almost  every  tree  one  or  two  grape  vines,  and 
that  for  a  long  distance  along  the  road  until  we  reached 
the  plantation  of  one  Hendrick  Hcndricksen,  where  no  one 
was  at  home  except  a  woman,  who  nevertheless  lent  us  a 
canoe  with  which  we  might  not  only  cross  over,  but  go  a 
considerable  distance  down  the  creek,  trusting  her  canoe 
to  us.  We  arrived  in  this  at  the  plantation  of  Air.  Hopkins, 
who  was  not  at  home.  Being  fatigued,  and  not  having  yet 
breakfasted,  we  asked  for  something  to  drink  that  clear 
water  from,  and  afterwards  for  something  to  eat ;  but  we 
could  obtain  nothing  except  a  piece  of  maize  bread  with 
which  we  satisfied  ourselves.  The  worst  was,  she  would 
not  show  us  the  way,  which,  however,  we  found  ourselves. 
We  arrived  at  noon  at  Salsberry's,  who  also  was  not  at 
home.  They  had  all  sailed  down  below  to  the  ships.  But 
we  found  a  good  old  woman  who  immediately  put  before 
us  something  to  eat,  and  gave  us  some  exceedingly  good 
cider  to  drink.  We  were,  therefore,  somewhat  strengthened. 
This  plantation  is  one  of  the  most  pleasantly  situated  I 
have  seen,  having  upon  the  side  of  the  great  bay  a  fine 
prospect,  and  a  pretty  view  in  the  distance,  as  the  sketch 
shows.  We  left  here  about  three  o'clock,  and  were  taken 
across  the  creek  and  put  upon  the  road,  and  at  evening- 
came  to  the  house  of  one  Richard  Adams,  an  Englishman, 
who  had  a  Dutch  wife  born  at  Deventer.  The  husband 
was  not  at  home,  and  she  had  almost  forgotten  her  Dutch. 
However,  we  were  welcome,  and  we  remained  there  for 
the  night,  and  rested  reasonably  well. 

7th,  Thursday.  We  left  there  after  breakfast,  and  were 
put  across  a  creek  which  runs  by  the  door,  and  shown  the 
road  to  go  to  an  English  plantation.  The  owner  was  not 
at  home,  but  we  first  passed  a  small  plantation  where  an 
Amsterdamer  was  engaged  in  carpenter  work,  who  very  wil- 


198 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


lingly  pointed  out  the  road.  We  found  at  the  English- 
man's ii  younj;  man  from  Middleburgh,  who  had  heen  sold 
as  a  servant,  hut  had  nerved  out  his  time.  He  was  in  the 
last  Knglish  war,  had  heen  taken  by  a  privateer  and  carried 
to  Virginia,  and  there  sold  for  four  years,  which  having 
expired,  he  thought  of  returning  to  Fatherland  next  year. 
We  were  mutually  unacquainted  with  each  other,  hut  lie 
was  glad  to  see  one  of  his  countrymen.  He  took  us  to  the 
road,  and  wc  proceeded  on  to  a  plantation  where  the  people 
were  in  the  woods  working,  to  whom  we  went  to  inquire 
the  way.  The  master  of  the  plantation  came  to  meet  us, 
accompanied  by  his  wife  and  a  person  who  spoke  high 
Dutch.  The  owner's  name  was  Miller.  We  told  him  we 
wished  to  learn  the  road  to  Mr.  Hosier's.  He  was  about  to 
show  us  the  way,  hut  as  this  was  far  around,  his  wife  said 
he  had  better  let  us  be  taken  over  a  creek  which  ran  in 
front  of  his  plantation,  and  we  would  have  a  less  distance 
to  go,  whereupon  he  gave  us  directions  that  it  should  be  so 
done.  Wc  thanked  him,  and  went  to  his  plantation  for 
the  purpose  of  going  over,  but  we  were  not  there  soon 
enough,  for  there  was  a  man  gone  over  who  was  now  almost 
on  the  other  side,  who  called  out  to  us  that  he  was  not 
coming  back,  because  there  was  another  canoe  on  this  side 
where  there  was  a  woman.  This  I  immediately  launched 
in  the  water,  as  we  had  permission,  and  went  over,  and  the 
■woman  took  it  back.  We  had  here  as  company  the  man 
who  had  crossed  over  before  us,  for  a  piece  of  the  way,  and 
he  directed  us  to  another  plantation,  also  with  a  creek  in 
front  of  it  where  we  had  to  cross.  There  was  no  one  here 
except  some  women  attending  upon  another  sick  woman. 
The  man  who  had  traveled  with  us  a  part  of  the  way,  after- 
wards came  up  and  again  directed  us,  but  we  came  to  a 
different  plantation  from  what  we  intended.  If  we  had 
gone  to  the  right  hand,  we  should  have  proceeded  straight, 
for  we  would  then  have  found  Mr.  Commegys,  a  Dutchman, 


MR.  COMMEGYS.    A  CONSULTATION. 


199 


whom  we  were  in  search  of  according  to  the  address  Mr. 
Moll  had  given  ns,  and  for  whom  we  had  inquired.  We 
should  have  found  him  with  many  of  his  people  bringing 
slaughtered  meat  over  the  creek.  The  owner  of  the  plant- 
ation we  had  come  to,  had  no  canoe  at  home ;  but  he 
assisted  us  by  going  with  us  himself,  where  a  son  of  Mr. 
Commegys,  as  he  said,  worked  a  plantation,  who,  if  he  heard 
us  call,  would  certainly  come  and  take  us  over.  But  when 
we  came  to  the  creek  we  saw  all  those  people  who  had 
carried  the  meat  over  in  the  boat,  but  this  man  did  not 
know  them,  and  doubted  whether  they  were  Commegys's 
men .  We  arrived  at  last  at  Cornelis's,  the  son  of  Commegys 
aud  called  out  to  him,  and  he  brought  a  canoe  which 
relieved  us,  as  it  was  close  on  to  evening.  We  thanked 
the  person  who  had  brought  us,  and  stepped  into  the  canoe. 
Cornelia,  who  was  an  active  young  man,  was  pleased  to  meet 
Hollanders,  although  he  himself  was  born  in  this  country. 
We  found  Mr.  Commegys  on  the  next  plantation,  who 
bade  us  welcome,  and  after  we  had  drank  some  cider, 
accompanied  us  with  one  of  his  company  to  Mr.  Hosier's, 
who  was  a  good  generous-hearted  man,  better  than  any 
Englishman  we  had  met  with  in  this  country.  He  had 
formerly  had  much  business  with  Mr.  Moll,  but  their  affairs 
in  England  running  behindhand  a  little,  they  both  came 
and  settled  clown  here ;  and,  therefore,  Mr.  Moll  and  he  had 
a  great  regard  for  each  other.  He  showed  us  very  particu- 
lar attention,  although  we  were  strangers.  Something  was 
immediately  set  before  Mr.  Commegys  and  ourselves  to 
eat,  in  which  the  wife  manifested  as  much  kindness  as  the 
husband.  This  was  not  unacceptable,  for  we  had  eaten 
nothing  all  day.  They  requested  Mr.  Commegys  and  us 
very  urgently  to  stay  all  night,  but  he  desired  to  go  home, 
although  it  was  two  or  three  hours  distant  from  there,  and 
it  already  began  to  grow  dark.  However,  we  left  with 
him  on  foot,  but  he  obtained  a  horse  on  the  road  which 


200 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


enabled  bim  to  travel  better  than  we  could  witb  our 
wearied  feet.  We  readied  bis  bouse  about  eight  o'clock, 
where  be  and  bis  wife  bade  us  welcome.  We  were  well 
entertained,  and  went  easily  to  sleep,  having  traveled 
during  the  day  a  great  distance. 

8//',  JEHday.  We  advised  this  morning  with  Mr.  Com- 
megys as  to  proceeding  farther  down  to  Virginia,  and 
crossing  the  bay,  in  pursuance  of  the  address  which  we 
had  received  from  Mr.  Moll,  and  our  recollection,  to  wit, 
that  arriving  at  Mr.  Commegys's  we  should  then  consult 
him,  and  he  would  give  us  further  information.  In  talking 
the  matter  over  with  him,  lie  said,  he  saw  no  probability  of 
our  being  able  to  accomplish  this,  and  advised  us  against 
it,  for  several  reasons.  First,  the  country  below  there  was 
full  of  creeks  and  their  branches,  more  so  than  that  we  had 
passed  over,  and  it  was  difficult  to  get  across  them,  as  boats 
were  not  always  to  be  obtained,  and  the  people  were  not 
very  obliging.  As  to  going  by  water,  either  down  or  across 
the  bay,  there  was  not  much  navigating  at  this  time  of 
year,  the  winter  being  so  close  at  hand,  and  the  worst  of  it 
would  be  to  get  back  again.  To  go  by  sea  to  the  South 
river,  or  New  York,  there  was  not  much  opportunity,  and 
it  was  attended  with  great  danger  and  inconvenience.  As 
to  exploring  the  land,  he  assured  us  we  had  seen  the  best; 
the  rest  of  it  was  poor  and  covered  with  bushes,  especially 
in  Virginia.  It  would  cost  us  much  at  this  time,  and  we 
would  have  to  do  with  a  godless  and  very  crafty  people, 
who  would  be  the  more  so  towards  us,  because  we  were 
strangers  who  could  not  speak  their  language,  and  did  not 
understand  the  customs  of  the  country,  and  so  forth,  all 
which  we  took  into  consideration.  After  breakfast  a  man 
arrived  with  a  letter  from  Mr.  Miller,  requesting  Commegys 
to  go  with  bim  in  his  boat  across  the  bay  to  the  ships. 
Commegys  not  wishing  to  go,  answered  the  letter,  and  said 
to  us  in  general  terms  something  about  a  man  who  wished 


EFFORT  TO  CROSS  THE  CHESAPEAKE.  201 

to  cross  the  bay  in  a  boat,  but  be  did  not  express  himself 
fully,  and  we  also  did  not  understand  hirn  well.  "We  sup- 
posed the  man  was  at  his  plantation  with  a  boat,  and  after 
waiting  awhile  without  perceiving  any  thing  of  him,  we 
asked  him  where  the  man  was  with  the  boat.  He  said  he 
was  not  there,  but  that  it  was  Captain  Miller's  boat  which 
was  going,  and  he  lived  about  ten  or  twelve  miles  off  We 
immediately  resolved  to  go  there,  which  Ave  did,  about 
noon,  after  having  breakfasted  and  dined  together.  Mr. 
Commegys  was  from  Vienna,  and  had  had  a  Dutch  woman 
for  a  wife,  who  had  taught  her  children  to  speak  the  Dutch 
language  ;  they  therefore  had  a  kind  disposition  towards  Hol- 
landers. After  her  death  he  married  an  English  woman, 
and  he  had  himself  learned  many  of  the  English  maxims, 
although  it  was  against  his  feelings  ;  for  we  were  sensible 
that  he  dared  not  work  for  us  with  an  open  heart.  He  told 
us  he  would  rather  live  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  than 
here.  "  How  is  that,"  said  I,  "  when  there  is  such  good 
land  here?"  "True,"  he  replied,  "but  if  you  knew  the 
people  here  as  well  as  I  do,  you  would  be  able  to  under- 
stand why." 

We  departed  from  his  house  over  the  same  road  by 
which  we  had  come,  thinking  that  if  nothing  more  should 
result  from  this  opportunity,  we  would  at  least  have 
advanced  so  far  on  our  way  back.  We  arrived  at  about 
three  o'clock  at  Mr.  Hosier's,  who  received  us  kindly,  and 
would  have  cheerfully  kept  us  all  night,  but  understanding 
our  intention,  he  not  only  let  us  go  and  showed  us  the  road, 
but  went  with  us  himself  in  order  to  facilitate  our  getting 
over  the  creek ;  but  on  arriving  at  the  next  plantation  on 
the  creek,  there  was  no  canoe  to  put  us  over,  and  he  there- 
fore took  us  to  another,  the  same  one  where  we  had  found 
the  Commegys,  and  where  we  now  found  his  son,  of  whom 
I  have  before  spoken,  who  soon  had  his  boat  ready,  when 
thanking  Mi*.  Hosier,  and  taking  our  leave  of  him,  we 
26 


202 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


crossed  over.  Young  Commegys  showed  us  the  road,  which 
we  followed  to  a  creek,  where  we  found  a  canoe,  hut  no 
person  with  it.  We  took  ourselves  over  in  it,  and  came  to 
the  house  where  we  left  the  sick  woman  before  spoken  of. 
There  were  now  some  men  at  home  whom  we  requested 
to  show  us  the  road,  and  the  same  person  who  brought  us 
here  over  the  same  road,  accompanied  us  a  part  of  the  way, 
and  gave  us  directions  how  to  proceed.  We  struck  the 
creek  directly  opposite  Mr.  Miller's  plantation,  as  it  began 
to  get  dark,  and  on  calling  out  were  taken  over.  We 
inquired  of  Mr.  Miller  whether  he  intended  to  cross  the 
bay  in  his  boat  and  when,  and  whether  he  would  tiike  us 
with  him.  lie  said  yes,  but  he  did  not  know  whether  he 
would  leave  the  next  day  or  not.  He  would  start  as  soon 
as  the  weather  would  permit,  as  he  had  some  casks  of 
tobacco  to  carry  over,  with  which  we  might  help  him;  but 
he  did  not  know  how  we  would  manage  on  the  other  side, 
as  he  had  to  go  further  up  the  river  from  there,  and  he  saw 
no  chance  for  us  to  go  down  the  bay  or  to  cross  back  again. 
"VVe  finally  concluded  we  would  go  with  him,  and  remain 
on  board  the  ships  until  he  came  back  to  take  us  with  him, 
he  promising  not  to  leave  there  without  coming  for  us.  We 
also  found  here  the  person  who  spoke  high  Dutch,  and  of 
whom  we  have  before  said  a  word.  We  were  able  to  con- 
verse with  him,  but  my  companion  could  do  so  the  best. 
He  resided  on  this  plantation,  and  was  a  kind  of  proctor 
or  advocate  in  the  courts.  We  passed  the  evening  with 
him.  We  were  well  entertained  here,  and  had  a  good  bed 
to  sleep  on,  which  was  very  agreeable. 

9/A,  Saturday.  We  expected  the  trip  would  be  made  this 
morning,  but  no  mention  was  made  of  it,  and  we  asked 
him  at  last  whether  it  would  not  be  proceeded  with.  He 
said  the  weather  was  not  fit,  and  that  as  soon  as  it  was 
suitable  we  would  start.  But  about  noon  the  wind  blowing 
veiy  fresh  from  the  west,  which  was  straight  ahead,  we  gave 


RETURNING  NORTH.    WILD  DUCKS. 


203 


up  all  hope  of  going  to-day.  Seeing  that  the  same  difficulty 
might  exist  on  Monday  and  the  following  days,  as  he  said  he 
would  not  go  over  on  Sunday,  we  determined  to  proceed, 
after  we  had  dined,  with  our  journey  hack  to  New  Castle, 
which  we  did,  excusing  ourselves  on  the  ground  that  we 
could  not  wait  so  long,  and  that  time  pressed  us.  So  we 
took  our  leave  and  went  to  Richard  Adams's  as  we  had 
promised  his  wife  when  we  went  on,  to  stop  there  on  our 
return ;  hut  missing  the  way,  or  not  knowing  it  we  came 
to  a  plantation  and  house  ahout  three  o'clock,  where  there 
was  neither  man  nor  beast,  and  no  one  from  whom  we 
could  inquire  the  road.  "We  chose  the  one  we  thought 
best,  and  walked  on  till  evening.  We  came  to  a  plantation 
on  the  point  of  the  creek  where  Richard  Adams  lived 
on  the  opposite  side,  being  now  on  the  great  bay  about 
four  miles  below  where  we  had  to  be.  We  were  strangers 
here,  and  had  no  address  to  these  people,  who,  nevertheless, 
showed  us  every  kindness  and  treated  us  well.  They  told 
us  we  had  lost  the  way  at  the  empty  house,  by  taking  the 
road  to  the  left  instead  of  the  right. 

10th,  Sunday.  The  son  who  went  out  to  shoot  at  daylight, 
put  us  on  the  road  which  would  lead  us  to  the  creek  directly 
opposite  Richard  Adams's  house,  taking  us  back  to  the 
empty  plantation  which  we  now  left  on  the  right  hand. 
We  arrived  at  the  place  about  eight  o'clock,  and  were  taken 
over  the  creek  by  Richard  Adams  himself.  He  and  his 
wife  were  glad  to  see  us,  and  bade  us  welcome.  As  it  was 
Sunday,  and  we  had  promised  to  write  a  letter  to  Holland 
for  his  wife,  we  remained  there  this  day,  writing  the  letter 
after  dinner,  and  having  time  also  to  look  around  a  little. 
These  people  were  so  delighted  at  the  service  we  were  to 
do  them  in  Holland,  of  posting  a  letter  to  Steenwyk,  and 
sending  an  answer  back  to  them,  that  they  did  not  know 
what  to  do  for  us.  He  gave  us  some  French  brandy  to 
drink,  which  he  had  purchased  of  the  captains  of  the  ships 


204 


JOI  KNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


who  had  brought  it  from  England;  but  as  it  was  an  article 
prohibited  on  pain  of  forfeiture,  it  was  not  to  be  bought 
bore,  and  scarcely  any  thing  else,  for  he  had  made  an  use- 
less journey  below,  not  being  able  to  obtain  shoes  and 
stockings  for  bis  little  children  who  were  bare-legged. 

I  have  nowhere  seen  so  many  ducks  together  as  were  in 
the  creek  in  front  of  this  house.  The  water  was  so  black 
with  them  that  it  seemed  when  you  looked  from  the  land 
below  upon  the  water,  as  if  it  were  a  mass  of  filth  or  turf, 
and  when  they  flew  up  there  was  a  rushing  and  vibration 
of  the  air  like  a  great  storm  coming  through  the  trees,  and 
even  like  the  rumbling  of  distant  thunder,  while  the  sky 
over  the  whole  creek  was  filled  with  them  like  a  cloud,  or 
like  the  starlings  fly  at  harvest  time  in  Fatherland.  There 
was  a  boy  about  twelve  years  old  who  took  aim  at  them 
from  the  shore,  not  being  able  to  get  within  good  shooting 
distance  of  them,  but  nevertheless  shot  loosely  before  they 
flew  away,  and  hit  only  three  or  four,  complained  of  his 
shot,  as  they  are  accustomed  to  shoot  from  six  to  twelve 
and  even  eighteen  and  more  at  one  shot.  After  supper  we 
eat  some  Maryland  or  Virginia  oysters  which  he  had 
brought  up  with  him.  "We  found  them  good,  but  the 
Gouancs  oysters  at  New  York  are  better. 

11th,  Monday.  "We  left  there  after  breakfast,  the  man 
conducting  us  to  the  path  which  led  to  the  plantation  of 
Mr.  Stablcy,  whose  address  we  had  from  Mr.  Moll,  but  he 
was  sick.  W"e  were  here  a  little  while,  but  nothing  was 
offered  us  to  eat,  and  we  only  asked  to  drink.  W"e  wished 
to  be  put  across  the  Sassafras  river  here,  but  could  not 
accomplish  it,  although  we  were  upon  the  bank  of  the  river. 
"We  were  directed  to  the  ferry  at  the  court  bouse,  which 
was  about  two  miles  west,  but  difficult  to  find  through  the 
woods.  A  person  gave  us  a  letter  to  take  to  the  Mana- 
ihans,  who  put  us  in  the  path  leading  to  the  ferry,  where  we 
arrived  about  two  o'clock,  and  called  out  to  them  to  come 


DIFFICULTIES  AND  DANGERS. 


205 


and  take  us  over.  Although  the  weather  was  perfectly 
still  and  they  could  easily  hear  us,  we  were  not  taken  over, 
though  we  continued  calling  out  to  them  until  sundown. 
As  no  one  came  for  us,  we  intended  to  go  back  to  the  plant- 
ation of  Mr.  Stabley,  or  one  of  those  lying  before  us,  and 
to  proceed  there  along  the  strand,  but  a  creek  prevented 
us,  and  we  had  to  search  for  the  road  by  which  we  came. 
We  missed  this  road,  although  we  were  upon  it,  and  could 
not  find  that  or  any  other  plantation,  and  meanwhile  it 
became  dark.  Although  the  moon  shone  we  could  not  go 
straight,  for  it  shone  above,  and  did  not  give  us  light 
enough  to  see  through  the  trees  any  houses  or  plantations 
at  a  distance,  several  of  which  we  passed  as  the  result 
proved.  "We  were  utterly  perplexed  and  astray.  We  fol- 
lowed the  roads  as  we  found  them,  now  easterly  and  then 
westerly,  now  a  little  more  on  one  side,  and  then  a  little 
more  on  the  other,  until  we  were  completely  tired  out,  and 
wished  ourselves  back  again  upon  the  strand.  We  had  to 
keep  on,  however,  or  remain  in  the  woods,  and  as  the  latter 
did  not  suit  us,  we  chose  the  former,  fatigued  as  we  were, 
and  uncertain  as  was  the  issue.  I  plucked  up  courage  and 
went  singing  along,  which  resounded  through  the  woods, 
although  I  was  short  of  breath  through  weariness.  My 
comrade  having  taken  his  compass  out  of  his  sack  in  order 
to  see  how  we  were  going,  had  put  it  back  again,  and  we 
were  walking  on,  when  he  discovered  he  had  by  that  means 
lost  his  degen,1  (sword) ;  though  we  had  gone  some  distance, 
we  returned  again  to  look  for  it,  and  I  found  it  at  last.  We 
continued  on  westerly  again,  but  as  we  came  to  no  end,  we 
determined  to  go  across,  through  the  thickets  and  bushes, 
due  north,  in  order  if  we.  could  not  discover  any  plantation, 


1  This  word  is  possibly  erroneously  written.  Its  meaning  here  cannot 
even  be  conjectured. 


206 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


we  might  at  least  reach  the  strand.  It  was  now  ahout  nine 
o'clock  in  the  evening.  After  having  proceeded  about  an 
hour  in  that  direction,  we  heard  directly  in  front  of  us,  a 
dog  barking,  which  gladdened  us.  It  was  a  remarkable 
circumstance,  as  dogs  are  used  to  keep  men  away  from 
dwellings,  but  served  to  bring  us  to  them,  and  was  remark- 
able also  for  the  providence  of  the  Lord,  who  caused  this 
dog  to  bark,  who,  the  nearer  we  approached,  heard  more 
noise  made  by  us  among  the  leaves  and  bushes,  and  barked 
the  more,  calling  to  us  as  it  were,  to  come  straight  up  to 
him,  which  we  endeavored  to  do.  We  soon  came,  how- 
ever, to  a  very  deep  hollow,  where  we  could  see  over  the 
tops  of  the  trees  in  it,  and  on  the  other  side  what  seemed  to 
be  a  shed  of  a  plantation  in  which  the  dog  was  barking. 
This  encouraged  us,  but  we  had  yet  to  go  through  the 
hollow,  where  we  could  see  no  bottom,  and  the  sides  were 
steep.  We  scrambled  down  I  know  not  how,  not  seeing 
whether  there  was  water  or  a  morass  there  ;  but  on  reach- 
ing the  bottom,  we  found  it  was  a  morass  grown  up  with 
bushes.  My  comrade  who  followed  me,  called  out  to  know 
whether  we  could  not  pass  round  it,  but  we  had  to  go 
through  it.  We  came  at  length  to  a  small  brook,  not 
broad,  which  we  crossed  and  clambered  up  the  side  again, 
when  we  came  to  the  shed  where  the  dog  continued 
barking,  and  thus  led  us  to  the  house.  His  master  was  in 
bed,  and  did  not  know  what  noise  it  was  he  heard.  On  our 
knocking,  he  was  surprised  to  hear  such  strange  people  at 
the  door,  not  knowing  whether  we  were  few  or  many,  or 
whether  he  dared  invite  us  in  or  not,  but  he  did.  We  had 
then  little  trouble.  When  we  entered  the  house  he  was 
astonished  to  see  us,  inquiring  what  people  we  were,  where 
we  came  from,  where  we  were  going,  but  especially  how  we 
reached  there.  'No  one,  he  said,  could  get  there  easily  in 
the  day  time,  unless  he  were  shown  or  knew  the  way  well, 
because  they  were  very  much  hidden,  and  he  would  come 


HARD  QUARTERS.    WILD  GEESE.  207 

to  all  the  other  plantations  sooner  than  this  one.  We  told 
him  our  adventures,  at  which  he  was  as  much  astonished 
as  we  were  rejoiced.  We  had  reasons  to  hehold  the  Lord  in 
all  this,  and  to  glorify  him  as  we  did  silently  in  our  hearts. 
The  wife  arose  and  offered  us  a  little  to  eat  of  what  she  had, 
and  afterwards  gave  me  some  deer  skins,  but  they  were  as 
dry  and  hard  as  a  plank.  I  lay  down  upon  them,  and 
crept  under  them,  hut  was  little  covered  and  still  less 
warmed  by  them.  My  companion  went  to  lie  with  a  ser- 
vant in  his  bunk,  but  he  did  not  remain  there  long  before 
a  heavy  rain  came  —  before  which  the  Lord  had  caused  us 
to  enter  the  hoiise  against  all  appearances  —  and  compelled 
him  to  evacuate  his  quarters  very  quickly.  The  water 
entered  in  such  great  quantities  that  they  would  otherwise 
have  been  wet  through,  though  already  it  did  not  make 
much  difference  with  my  comrade.  We  passed  the  night, 
however,  as  well  as  we  could,  sitting,  standing,  or  lying 
down,  but  cold  enough. 

12th,  Tuesday.  This  plantation  was  about  four  miles  be- 
low the  court  house  or  ferry,  westerly  towards  the  bay,  and 
we  did  not  know  if  we  went  to  the  ferry  that  we  would  not 
be  compelled  again  to  remain  there  calling  out,  uncertain 
when  we  would  be  carried  over.  We  therefore  promised 
this  servant  if  he  would  put  us  across  we  would  give  him 
the  money,  which  we  would  otherwise  have  to  pay  at  the 
ferry.  The  master  made  gome  objections  on  account  of 
the  servant's  work  and  the  distance  from  the  river,  and 
also  because  they  had  no  canoe.  The  servant  satisfied 
him  on  these  points,  and  he  consented.  We  breakfasted 
on  what  we  could  get,  not  knowing  how  or  where  we 
would  obtain  any  thing  again.  We  three,  accordingly, 
went  about  two  miles  to  the  strand,  where  we  found  a 
canoe,  but  it  was  almost  entirely  full  of  water,  and  what 
was  the  worst  of  it,  we  had  nothing  with  which  to  bale  it 
out.    However,  by  one  means  and  another  we  emptied  it 


208 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


and  launched  the  canoe.  We  stepped  in  and  paddled  over 
the  river  to  the  plantation  of  a  Mr.  Frifby.  I  must  not 
forget  to  mention  the  great  number  of  wild  geese  we  saw 
here  on  the  river.  They  rose_  not  in  flocks  of  ten  or 
twelve,  or  twenty  or  thirty,  hut  continuously,  wherever  we 
pushed  our  way ;  and  as  they  made  room  for  us,  there  was 
such  an  incessant  clattering  made  with  their  wings  upon 
the  water  where  they  rose,  and  such  a  noise  of  those  flying 
higher  up,  that  it  was  as  if  we  were  all  the  time  surrounded 
hy  a  whirlwind  or  a  storm.  This'proceeded  not  only  from 
geese,  but  from  ducks  and  other  water  fowl ;  and  it  is  not 
peculiar  to  this  place  alone,  hut  it  occurred  on  all  the 
creeks  and  rivers  we  crossed,  though  they  were  most  nume- 
rous in  the  morning  and  evening  when  they  arc  most  easily 
shot. 

Having  crossed  this  river,  which  is  of  great  width,  we 
came  to  the  plantation  of  Mr.  Frisby,  which  stands  upon 
an  eminence  and  affords  a  very  pleasant  prospect,  present- 
ing a  view  of  the  great  bay  as  well  as  the  Sassafras  river. 
When  we  first  came  on,  we  stopped  here,  but  the  master 
was  not  at  home ;  and  as  we  had  a  letter  of  recommenda- 
tion and  credit  to  him,  he  found  it  at  his  house  when  he  re- 
turned. When  we  arrived  there  now,  we  intended  merely 
to  ask  his  negroes  for  a  drink,  but  he  being  apprised  of 
our  arrival,  made  us  go  into  the  house,  and  entertained 
us  well.  After  we  had  partaken  of  a  good  meal,  he  had 
horses  made  ready  for  us  immediately  to  ride  to  Bohemia 
river,  which  hardly  deserves  the  name  of  a  river  in  respect 
to  other  creeks.  We  mounted  on  horseback,  then,  about 
ten  o'clock,  he  and  one  of  his  friends  leading  a  piece  of  the 
way.  Upon  separating,  he  left  us  a  boy  to  show  us  the 
path  and  bring  back  the  horses.  This  boy  undertaking 
more  than  he  knew,  assured  us  he  was  well  acquainted 
with  the  road ;  but  after  a  while,  observing  the  course  we 
rode,  and  the  distance  we  had  gone,  and  that  we  had 


DELAWARE  AND  CHESAPEAKE  CANAL.  209 

ridden  as  long  as  we  ought  to  have  done,  if  we  had  heen 
going  right,  we  doubted  no  longer  we  had  missed  the  way, 
as  truly  appeared  in  the  end  ;  for  about  three  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  we  came  upon  a  broad  cart  road,  when  we 
discovered  we  had  kept  too  far  to  the  right  and  had  gone 
entirely  around  Bohemia  river.  We  supposed  we  were 
now  acquainted  with  the  road,  and  were  upon  the  one 
which  ran  from  Casparus  Hermans's  to  his  father's,  not 
knowing  there  were  other  cart  roads.  We  rode  along  this 
fine  road  for  about  an  hour  or  an  hour  and  a  half,  in  order 
to  reach  Augustine  Hermans,  when  we  heard  some  persons 
calling  out  to  us  from  the  woods,  "Hold,  where  are  you 
riding  to  ? "  Certain,  as  we  supposed  we  were,  in  our 
course,  we  answered,  "  to  Augustine  Hermans."  "  You 
should  not  go  that  road  then,"  they  rejoined,  "  for  you  are 
out  of  the  way."  We  therefore  rode  into  the  bushes  in 
order  to  go  to  them,  and  learned  that  we  were  not  upon 
the  road  we  thought  we  were,  but  on  the  road  from  Apo- 
qaemene,  that  is,  a  cart  road  made  from  Apoqucmcne,  a  small 
village  situated  upon  a  creek,  to  Bohemia  creek  or  river. 
Upon  this  road  the  goods  which  go  from  the  South  river 
to  Maryland  by  land,  are  carried,  and  also  those  which 
pass  inland  from  Maryland  to  the  South  river,  because 
these  two  creeks,  namely,  the  Apoquemene,  and  the  Bohe- 
mia, one  running  up  from  Maryland,  and  the  other  from 
the  Delaware  river,  as  the  English  call  the  South  river, 
come  to  an  end  close  to  each  other,  and  perhaps  shoot  by 
each  other,  although  they  are  not  navigable  so  far ;  but  are 
navigable  for  eight  miles,  that  is  two  Dutch  miles  of  fifteen 
to  a  degree.  When  the  Dutch  governed  the  country  the 
distance  was  less,  namely,  six  miles.  The  digging  a  canal 
through  was  then  talked  of,  the  land  being  so  low ;  which 
would  have  afforded  great  convenience  for  trade  on  the 
South  river,  seeing  that  they  would  have  come  from  Mary- 
land to  buy  all  they  had  need  of,  and  would  have  been  able 
27 


210 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


to  transport  their  tobacco  more  easily  to  that  river,  than 
to  the  great  hay  of  Virginia,  as  they  now  have  to  do,  for  a 
large  part  of  Maryland.  •Besides,  the  cheap  market  of  the 
Hollanders  in  the  South  [river]  would  have  drawn  more 
trade;  and  if  the  people  of  Maryland  had  goods  to  ship  on 
their  own  account,  they  could  do  it  sooner  and  more 
readily,  as  well  as  more  conveniently  in  the  South  [river] 
than  in  the  great  hay,  and  therefore,  would  have  chosen 
this  route,  the  more  so  because  as  many  of  their  goods, 
perhaps,  would  for  various  reasons  be  shipped  to  Holland, 
as  to  England.  But  as  this  is  a  subject  of  greater  import- 
ance than  it  seems  upon  the  first  view,  it  is  well  to  con- 
sider whether  it  should  not  be  brought  to  the  attention  of 
higher  authorities  than  particular  governors.  What  is 
now  done  by  land  in  carts,  might  then  be  done  by  water, 
for  a  distance  of  more  than  six  hundred  miles. 

We  had,  then,  come  on  this  road  with  our  horses  to  the 
carrying-place  into  Maryland  and  more  than  three  miles 
from  where  we  supposed  we  were.  To  go  there  we  would 
have  had  to  pass  through  woods  and  over  small  morassy 
creeks.  The  sun  was  nearly  down,  and  we  therefore  ad- 
vised with  the  persons  before  mentioned.  One  of  them 
was  a  quaker  who  was  building  a  small  house  for  a  tavern, 
or  rather  an  ale  house,  for  the  purpose  of  entertaining 
travelers,  and  the  other  was  the  carpenter  who  was  assist- 
ing him  on  the  house,  and  could  speak  good  Dutch,  having 
resided  a  long  time  at  the  Manathans.  We  were  most 
concerned  for  the  young  man  and  the  horses.  The  quaker, 
who  had  put  up  a  temporary  shed,  made  of  the  bark  of 
trees,  after  the  manner  of  the  Indians,  with  both  ends 
open,  and  little  larger  than  a  dog's  kennel,  and  where  at 
the  best,  we  three  might  possibly  have  been  able  to  lie,  es- 
pecially when  a  fire  was  made  which  would  have  to  be 
done,  offered  us  his  lodgings  if  we  wished,  and  as  good 
accommodations  as  he  had,  which  were  not  much.  He 


BLAZED  TREES.  APOQUINIMINK. 


211 


had  nothing  to  eat  hut  maize  hreacl  which  was  poor 
enough,  and  some  small  wild  beans  boiled  in  water ;  and 
little  to  lie  on,  or  to  cover  one,  except  the  bare  ground  and 
leaves.  "We  would  not  have  rejected  this  fare  if  the  Lord 
had  made  it  necessary,  and  we  were  afterwards  in  circum- 
stances where  we  did  not  have  as  good  as  this ;  but  now 
we  could  do  better.  The  other  person,  an  Irishman,  who 
lived  about  three  miles  from  there,  did  not  urge  us  much, 
because,  perhaps,  he  did  not  wish  us  to  see  how  easily  he 
would  make  two  English  shillings  for  which  we  had  agreed 
with  him  to  take  the  horses  and  boy  to  the  creek,  and  put 
them  on  the  path  to  reach  home.  "We  were  to  walk  to  his 
house,  conducted  by  the  quaker,  while  he  rode  round  the 
creek  with  the  horses.  We  had  to  cross  it  in  a  canoe, 
which,  when  we  were  in  it,  was  not  the  breadth  of  two 
fingers  above  water,  and  threatened  every  moment  to  up- 
set. We  succeeded,  however,  in  crossing  over,  and  had 
then  to  make  our  way  through  bushes  by  an  untrodden 
path,  going  from  one  newly  marked  tree  to  another. 
These  marks  are  merely  a  piece  cut  out  of  the  bark  with 
an  axe,  about  the  height  of  a  man's  eyes  from  the  ground ; 
and  by  means  of  them  the  commonest  roads  are  designated 
through  all  New  !N"etherland  and  Maryland ;  but  in  conse- 
quence of  the  great  number  of  roads  so  marked,  and  their 
running  into  and  across  each  other,  they  are  of  little 
assistance,  and  indeed  often  mislead.  Pursuing  our  way 
we  arrived  at  the  house  of  Maurice,  as  the  carpenter  was 
called,  where  he  had  already  arrived  with  the  horses,  and 
had  earned  two  shillings  sooner  than  we  had  walked  three 
miles,  and  more  than  he  had  made  by  his  whole  day's 
work.  We  went  into  the  house  and  found  his  Irish  wife, 
engaged  in  cooking,  whereby  we  made  reprisals  in  another 
way.  After  we  had  thus  taken  a  good  supper,  we  were 
directed  to  a  place  to  sleep  which  suited  us  entirely  and 
where  we  rested  well. 


212 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


13/A,  Widiirschnj.  As  soon  as  it  was  day  we  eat  our  break- 
fast and  left,  after  giving  this  man  his  two  shillings,  who 
also  immediately  rode  off  with  the  young  man  and  the 
horses,  to  put  him  on  the  path  to  Sassafras  river,  while  the 
quaker  who  had  remained  there  during  the  night,  was  to 
take  us  to  the  broad  cart  road  where  he  had  found  us. 
lint  neither  he  nor  we,  could  follow  the  new  marked  trees 
bo  well  in  the  morning  light,  and  we  soon  missed  the  way, 
and  no  wonder,  for  we  now  had  the  marks  behind  the 
trees.  We  went  again  through  the  thickets  and  bushes  of 
the  woods,  to  and  fro,  for  full  three  hours  without  any 
prospect  of  getting  out,  and  that  within  a  distance  of  not 
over  three-quarters  of  an  hour.  We  struck  a  foot-path  at 
last  which  led  us  to  Bohemia  creek,  directly  opposite  the 
house  which  was  being  built.  We  descended  in  order  to 
wade  over  it,  the  bottom  appearing  to  be  hard  on  this  side, 
and  promising  a  good  passage ;  but  when  we  were  in  the 
middle  of  it,  we  sank  up  to  our  knees  in  the  mud.  When 
we  were  over  we  went  into  the  quaker's  hut,  who  warmed 
up  some  beans,  and  set  them  before  us  with  maize  bread. 
Not  to  leave  him  like  an  empty  calabash,  we  gave  him  an 
English  shilling  for  leading  us  astray,  and  other  things. 
We  had  now  a  fine  broad  cart  road  to  follow,  eight  miles 
long,  which  would  lead  us  to  Apoqucmene,  as  it  did,  and 
where  we  arrived  about  noon.  They  are  most  all  Dutch 
who  live  here,  and  we  were  again  among  the  right  kind  of 
people,  with  whom  we  could  at  least  obtain  what  was  right. 
We  stepped  into  a  house  and  were  welcome.  Some  food 
was  immediately  set  before  us  to  eat,  and  among  other 
things  butter,  cheese,  and  rye  bread  which  was  fresh  and 
so  delicious  that  my  companion  said  it  was  to  him  like 
sweet  cake.  We  left  there  after  we  had  taken  dinner,  a 
boy  leading  us  upon  the  way  as  far  as  a  long  wooden 
bridge  or  dam  over  a  meadow  and  creek,  and  proceeded  on 
to  Casparus  Hermans's,  the  brother  of  Ephraim,  about  six 


RETURN  TO  NEWCASTLE. 


213 


miles  from  there,  where  we  arrived  at  three  o'clock,  but 
again  found  him  absent  from  home.  As  the  court  was  sit- 
ting at  Newcastle  he  had  to  be  there  as  one  of  its  members. 
"We  were,  however,  welcomed  by  his  wife.  Her  name  was 
Susanna,  and  his,  Casparus  or  Jasper ;  which  led  my 
thoughts  further,  communing  with  God  in  his  love,  who 
makes  the  past  as  well  as  the  future  to  be  present,  and 
who  consumes  the  present  in  him  with  the  future  and  the 
past,  as  it  proceeds  from  him  with  all  our  sensations.  We 
passed  the  night  there,  and  had  to  sleep  with  a  quaker  who 
was  going  next  day  to  Maryland. 

14th,  Thursday.  While  we  were  waiting  for  Casparus, 
we  embraced  the  opportunity  to  examine  his  place  again, 
which  pleased  us  in  all  respects,  and  was  objectionable 
only  because  it  lay  on  the  road,  and  was  therefore  resorted 
to  by  every  one,  and  especially  by  these  miserable  quakers. 
He  returned  home  in  the  afternoon,  and  was  glad  to  find 
us.  We  spoke  to  him  in  relation  to  a  certain  tract  of  land 
which  we  wished  to  look  at,  and  Ephraim  and  his  father 
had  told  us  of ;  and  when  we  heard  what  it  was,  it  was  a 
part  of  Bohemia,  which  we  had  already  tolerably  well 
looked  at  on  our  way  to  Maryland,  being  that  which  lies 
on  the  creeks  and  river,  and  which,  on  our  return  and 
twice  losing  the  way,  lay  higher  up  in  the  woods ;  but  we 
reserved  the  privilege  in  case  we  should  winter  on  the 
South  river,  of  riding  over  it  thoroughly  on  horseback, 
with  him  and  his  brother  Ephraim.1  For  the  present, 
time  compelled  us  to  see  if  we  could  not  yet  reach  the 
Manathans  for  the  winter ;  and  we  were  the  more  induced 
to  the  attempt  because  a  servant  of  Ephraim  had  arrived 
this  evening  by  water  in  a  boat,  and  would  be  ready  to 
return  with  it  to  Newcastle  early  in  the  morning.  We 
therefore  excused  ourselves  and  let  the  subject  rest.  We 


1  It  was  upon  the  piece  of  land  here  alluded  to  that  the  colony  of  the 
Lahadists  was  afterwards  planted. 


214 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


heard  here  that  his  father  Augustine  Hermans  was  very 
sick  and  at  the  point  of  death,  and  that  Miss  Margaret  had 
gone  there  to  attend  upon  him  in  that  condition. 

ISthf  Friday.  It  was  flood  tide  early  this  morning,  and 
our  servant  slept  a  little  too  long,  for  it  was  not  far  from  high 
water  when  he  appeared.  We  hurried,  however,  into  the 
hoat  and  pushed  on  as  hard  as  we  could,  hut  the  flood  stopped 
running,  when  we  were  about  half  way.  We  continued 
on  rowing,  and  as  the  day  advanced  we  caught  a  favorable 
wind  from  the  west  and  spread  the  sail.  The  wind'gradu- 
ally  increasing  brought  us  to  Newcastle  about  eight  o'clock 
among  our  kind  friends  again,  where  we  were  welcome 
anew.  We  were  hardly  ashore  before  the  wind,  changing 
from  the  west  to  the  northwest,  brought  with  it  such  a 
storm  and  rain  that,  if  we  had  still  been  on  the  water,  we 
would  have  been  in  great  peril,  and  if  we  had  been  at 
Casparus's  we  would  not  have  been  able  to  proceed  in 
such  weather.  We  here  again,  so  clearly  perceived  the 
providence  of  the  Lord  over  us,  that  our  hearts  were  con- 
strained to  ascend  to  him,  and  praise  him  for  what  he  is  and 
does,  especially  towards  his  children.  As  we  have  con- 
fined ourselves  quite  strictly  to  the  account  of  our  journey, 
we  deem  it  serviceable  to  make  some  observations  upon 
some  general  matters  concerning  Maryland,  in  addition  to 
what  we  have  before  remarked. 

As  regards  its  first  discoverer  and  possessor,  that  was 
one  Lord  Baltimore,  an  English  nobleman,  in  the  time  of 
Queen  Maria.  Having  come  from  Newfoundland  along 
the  coast  of  North  America,  he  arrived  in  the  great  bay  of 
Virginia,  up  which  he  sailed  to  its  uppermost  parts,  and 
found  this  fine  country  which  he  named  Maryland  after 
his  queen.  Returning  to  England  he  obtained  a  charter 
of  the  northerly  parts  of  America,  inexclusively ,  although 
the  Hollanders  had  discovered  and  began  to  settle  New 
Netherland.    With  this  he  came  back  to  America  and 


MARYLAND.   TOBACCO.  SERVITUDE. 


215 


took  possession  of  his  Maryland,  where  at  present  his  son, 
as  governor,  resides.1 

Since  the  time  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  settlers  have  pre- 
ferred the  lowest  parts  of  the  great  bay  and  the  large  rivers 
which  empty  into  it,  either  on  account  of  proximity  to  the 
sea,  and  the  convenience  of  the  streams,  or  because  the 
uppermost  country  smacked  somewhat  of  the  one  from 
whom  it  derived  its  name  and  of  its  government.  They 
have  named  this  lower  country  Virginia,  out  of  regard  to 
Queen  Elizabeth.  It  is  the  most  populous,  but  not  the 
best  land,  and  has  a  government  distinct  from  that  of  Mary- 
land. A  governor  arrived  while  we  were  there,  to  fill  the 
place  made  vacant  by  the  death  of  his  predecessor.2 

As  to  the  present  government  of  Maryland,  it  remains 
firm  upon  the  old  footing,  and  is  confined  within  the  limits 


1  Charles  Calvert,  was  at  this  time  both  proprietor  and  governor  of 
Maryland.  He  came  out  first  in  1662  as  governor  under  his  father  Cecil- 
ius,  the  first  proprietor,  upon  whose  death  in  1675  he  succeeded  to  the 
title  of  Lord  Baltimore,  and  the  estates  in  this  country.  He  went  to  Eng- 
land upon  the  happening  of  this  event  ,  and  returned  in  February,  1680,  to 
Maryland,  where  he  continued  in  the  administration  of  the  government 
personally  until  1G84,  when  he  again  visited  England.  By  the  revolution 
which  soon  after  followed,  the  province  was  lost  to  the  family,  and  was 
not  fully  restored  until  1715,  when  its  heir  had  changed  his  religious  faith 
and  adopted  that  of  the  established  church  of  England.  Cecilius  and 
Charles  Calvert,  Lords  Baltimore,  were  Catholics.  McMahon's  History 
of  Maryland,  216,  et  seq. 

2  Lord  Culpepper  came  over  as  governor  of  Virginia,  in  1679  or 
1680,  although  he  had  been  appointed  some  time  previously.  Sir  William 
Berkeley,  whom  he  succeeded,  and  whose  administration  of  the  unequaled 
duration  of  forty  years,  had  terminated  in  a  sea  of  blood,  upon  the  sup- 
pression of  Bacon's  rebellion,  having  been  recalled,  returned  to  England 
in  1677,  where  he  died  shortly  after  his  arrival  there.  Colonel  Jeffries 
discharged  the  duties  of  the  place  as  lieutenant  governor  during  a  portion 
of  the  interval  until  the  arrival  of  Lord  Culpepper ;  but  he  also  dying  in 
1678,  the  government  devolved  upon  Sir  H.  Chickerly  for  the  rest  of  the 
period.  Bark's  History  of  Virginia,  II,  203,  223.  Chalmers  says,  Lord 
Culpepper  arrived  here  in  May,  1680.   Annals,  I,  340. 


216 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


before  mentioned.    AH  of  Maryland  that  we  have  seen,  is 
highland,  with  few  or  no  meadows,  but  possessing  such  a 
rich  and  fertile  soil,  as  persons  living  there  assured  me, 
that  they  had  raised  tobacco  off"  the  same  piece  of  land  lor 
thirty  consecutive  years.    The  inhabitant*  who  are  gene- 
rally English,  are  mostly  engaged  in  this  production.  It 
is  their  chief  staple,  and  the  means  with  which  they  must 
purchase  every  thing  they  require,  which  is  brought  to 
them  from  other  English  possessions  in  Europe,  Africa  and 
America.    There  is,  nevertheless,  sometimes  a  great  want 
of  these  necessaries,  owing  to  the  tobacco  market  being 
low,  or  the  shipments  being  prevented  by  some  change  of 
affairs  in  some  quarter,  particularly  in  Europe,  or  to  both 
causes,  as  was  the  case  at  this  time,  when  a  great  scarcity 
of  such  articles  existed  there,  as  we  saw.    80  large  a 
quantity  of  tobacco  is  raised  in  Maryland  and  Virginia, 
that  it  is  one  of  the  greatest  sources  of  revenue  to  the 
crown  by  reason  of  the  taxes  which  it  yields.  Servants 
and  negroes  are  employed  in  the  culture  of  tobacco,  who 
are  brought  from  other  places  to  be  sold  to  the  highest 
bidders,  the  servants  for  a  term  of  years  only,  but  the 
negroes  forever,  and  may  be  sold  by  their  masters  to  other 
planters  as  many  times  as  their  masters  choose,  that  is,  the 
servants  until  their  term  is  fulfilled,  and  the  negroes  for 
life.    These  men,  one  with  another,  each  make,  when  they 
are  able  to  work,  from  2,500  pounds  to  3,000  pounds,  and 
even  3,500  pounds  of  tobacco  a  year,  and  some  of  the  mas- 
ters and  their  wives  who  pass  their  lives  here  in  wretched- 
ness, do  the  same.    The  servants  and  negroes  after  they 
have   worn  themselves  down  the  whole  day,  and  gone 
home  to  rest,  have  yet  to  grind  and  pound  the  grain, 
which  is  generally  maize,  for  their  masters  and  all  their 
families  as  well  as  themselves,  and  all  the  negroes,  to  eat. 
Tobacco  is  the  only  production  in  which  the  planters  employ 
themselves,  as  if  there  were  nothing  else  in  the  world  to 


CORN  BREAD  AND  HOMINY.   MINISTERS.  217 

plant  but  that,  and  while  the  land  is  capable  of  yielding  all 
the  productions  that  can  be  raised  anywhere,  so  far  as  the 
climate  of  the  place  allows.  As  to  articles  of  food,  the 
only  bread  they  have  is  that  made  of  Turkish  wheat  or 
maize,  and  that  is  miserable.  They  plant  this  grain  for 
that  purpose  everywhere.  It  yields  well,  not  a  hundred, 
but  five  or  six  hundred  for  one ;  but  it  takes  up  much 
space,  as  it  is  planted  far  apart  like  vines  in  France.  The 
corn,  when  it  is  to  be  used  for  men,  has  to  be  first  soaked, 
before  it  is  ground  or  pounded,  because  the  grains  being 
large  and  very  hard,  cannot  be  broken  under  the  small 
stones  of  their  light  hand-mills;  and  then  it  is  left  so 
coarse  it  must  be  sifted.  They  take  the  finest  for  bread, 
and  the  other  for  different  kinds  of  groats,  which,  when  it 
is  cooked,  is  called  sapaen  or  homma.  The  meal  intended 
for  bread  is  kneaded  moist  without  leaven  or  yeast,  salt  or 
grease,  and  generally  comes  out  of  the  oven  so  that  it  will 
hardly  hold  together,  and  so  blue  and  moist  that  it  is  as 
heavy  as  dough;  yet  the  best  of  it  when  cut  and  roasted, 
tastes  almost  like  warm  white  bread,  at  least  it  seemed  to 
us  so.  This  corn  is  also  the  only  provender  for  their 
horses,  oxen,  cows,  hogs  and  fowls,  which  generally  run  in 
the  woods  to  get  their  food,  but  are  fed  a  little  of  this  morn- 
ing and  evening  during  the  winter  when  there  is  little  to 
be  had  in  the  woods;  though  they  are  not  fed  too  much, 
for  the  wretchedness,  if  not  cruelty,  of  such  living,  affects 
both  man  and  beast.  This  is  said  not  without  reason,  for  a 
master  having  a  sick  servant,  and  there  are  many  so,  and 
observing  from  his  declining  condition,  he  would  finally 
die,  and  that  there  was  no  probability  of  his  enjoying  any 
more  service  from  him,  made  him,  sick  and  languishing  as 
he  was,  dig  his  own  grave,  in  which  he  was  laid  a  few  days 
afterwards,  the  others  being  too  busy  to  dig  it,  having  their 
hands  full  in  attending  to  the  tobacco. 

A  few  vegetables  are  planted,  but  they  are  of  the  coarsest 
28 


218 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


kinds  and  arc  cultivated  in  the  coarsest  manner,  without 
knowledge  or  care,  and  they  are,  therefore,  not  properly 
raised,  and  do  not  amount  to  much  as  regards  the  pro- 
duction, and  still  less  as  to  their  use.  Some  have  begun  to 
plant  orchards,  which  all  bear  very  well,  but  are  not 
properly  cultivated.  The  fruit  is  for  the  greater  part 
pressed,  and  makes  good  cider,  of  which  the  largest  portion 
becomes  soured  and  spoiled  through  their  ignorance  or 
negligence,  either  from  not  putting  it  into  good  casks,  or 
from  not  taking  proper  care  of  the  liquor  afterwards. 
Sheep  they  have  none,  although  they  have  what  is  requisite 
for  them  if  they  chose.  It  is  matter  of  conjecture  whether 
you  will  find  any  milk  or  butter  even  in  summer;  we 
have  not  found  any  there  at  this  season  of  the  year.  They 
bestow  all  their  time  and  care  in  producing  tobacco; 
each  cask  or  hogshead,  as  they  call  it,  of  which  pays  two 
English  shillings  on  exportation,  and  on  its  arrival  in  Eng- 
land, two  pence  a  pound,  besides  the  fees  for  weighing  and 
other  expenses  here,  and  freight  and  other  charges  beyond 
sea.  When,  therefore,  tobacco  only  brings  four  or  five 
pence,  there  is  little  or  nothing  left  for  the  owner. 

The  lives  of  the  planters  in  Maryland  and  Virginia  are 
very  godless  and  profane.  They  listen  neither  to  God  nor 
his  commandments,  and  have  neither  church  nor  cloister. 
Sometimes  there  is  some  one  who  is  called  a  minister,  who 
does  not  as  elsewhere,  serve  in  one  place,  for  in  all  Virginia 
and  Maryland  there  is  not  a  city  or  a  village  —  but  travels 
for  profit,  and  for  that  purpose  visits  the  plantations  through 
the  country,  and  there  addresses  the  people ;  but  I  know  of 
no  public  assemblages  being  held  in  these  places;  you 
hear  often  that  these  ministers  are  worse  than  anybody 
else,  yea,  are  an  abomination. 

When  the  ships  arrive  with  goods,  and  especially  with 
liquors,  such  as  wine  and  brandy,  they  attract  everybody, 
that  is,  masters,  to  them,  who  then  indulge  so  abominably 


AN  EXECUTION.    THE  HOEREKIL. 


219 


together,  that  they  keep  nothing  for  the  rest  of  the 
year,  yea,  do  not  go  away  as  long  as  there  is  any  left,  or 
bring  any  thing  home  with  them  which  might  be  useful  to 
them  in  their  subsequent  necessities.  It  must,  therefore, 
go  hard  with  the  household,  and  it  is  a  wonder  if  there  be  a 
single  drop  left  for  the  future.  They  squander  so  much  in 
this  way,  that  they  keep  no  tobacco  to  buy  a  shoe  or  a 
stocking  for  their  children  which  sometimes  causes  great 
misery.  While  they  take  so  little  care  for  provisions,  and 
are  otherwise  so  reckless,  the  Lord  sometimes  punishes 
them  with  insects,  flies  and  worms,  or  with  intemperate 
seasons,  causing  great  famine,  as  happened  a  few  years 
ago  in  the  time  of  the  last  Dutch  war  with  the  English, 
when  the  Lord  sent  so  many  weevils  (eenkorentjes)  that  all 
their  grain  was  eaten  up  as  well  as  most  all  the  other  pro- 
ductions of  the  field,  by  reason  of  which  such  a  great  famine 
was  caused  that  many  persons  died  of  starvation,  and  a 
mother  killed  her  own  child  and  eat  it,  and  then  went  to 
her  neighbors,  calling  upon  them  to  come  and  see  what  she 
had  done,  and  showing  them  the  remains  of  her  child, 
whereupon  she  was  arrested  and  condemned  to  be  hung. 
When  she  sat  or  stood  on  the  scaffold,  she  cried  out  to  the 
people,  in  the  presence  of  the  governor,  that  she  was  now 
going  to  G-od,  where  she  would  render  an  account,  and 
would  declare  before  him  that  what  she  had  done  she  did 
in  the  mere  delirium  of  hunger,  for  which  the  governor 
alone  should  bear  the  guilt ;  inasmuch  as  this  famine  was 
caused  by  the  eenkorens,  a  visitation  from  God,  because  he, 
the  governor,  undertook  in  the  preceding  summer,  an  expe- 
dition against  the  Dutch,  residing  on  the  South  river,  who 
maintained  themselves  in  such  a  good  posture  of  defense, 
that  he  could  accomplish  but  little;  when  he  went  to  tbe 
Hocre-kil  on  the  west  side  of  that  river,  not  far  from  the 
sea,  where  also  he  was  not  able  to  do  much ;  but  as  the 
people  subsisted  there  only  by  cultivating  wheat,  and  had 


220 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


at  tliiH  time  a  line  and  abundant  harvest  in  the  fields  —  and 
from  Buch  harvests  the  people  of  Maryland  generally  and 
under  hucIi  circumstances  as  these  particularly,  were 
fed  —  he  set  fire  to  it,  and  all  their  other  fruits,  whether  of 
the  trees  or  the  field;  whereby  he  committed  two  great 
sins  at  the  same  time,  namely,  against  God  and  his  good- 
ness, and  against  his  neighbors,  the  Dutch,  who  lost  it,  and 
the  English  who  needed  it;  and  had  caused  more  misery 
to  the  English  in  his  own  country,  than  to  the  Dutch  in  the 
enemy's  country.  This  wretched  woman  protesting  these 
words  substantially  against  the  governor,  before  heaven 
and  in  the  hearing  of  every  one,  was  then  swung  up.1 

In  addition  to  what  the  tobacco  itself  pays  on  exporta- 
tion, which  produces  a  very  large  sum,  every  hundred 
acres  of  land,  whether  cultivated  or  not,  has  to  pay  one 
hundred  pounds  of  tobacco  a  year,  and  every  person 
between  sixteen  and  sixty  years  of  age  must  pay  three 
shillings  a  year.  All  animals  are  free  of  taxation,  and  so 
are  all  productions  except  tobacco. 

It  remains  to  be  mentioned  that  those  persons  who  pro- 


1  The  Hoerekil,  in  English  Whore  creek,  is  on  the  west  side  of  Delaware 
bay,  about  three  miles  inside  of  Cape  Henlopen.  This  distinctive  name 
first  appears  in  the  Vtrtoogh  van  Nieu  Keckrlant,  written  in  1G49  {N.  T. 
Uixtovinii '  Sin-i,  ti/  Colkctionx,  second  series,  [1,281).  It  would  seem  to  have 
been  first  applied  in  the  preceding  year  from  a  circumstance  which  is 
related  in  N.  T.  Colonial  History,  III,  342.  This  spot  was  first  attempted 
to  be  settled  by  the  Dutch  in  1631,  when  a  colony  of  thirty-four  persons 
sent  out  by  GodyD,  Van  Rensselaer,  Bloemart,  De  Laet,and  David  Pieter- 
sen  De  Vries  as  patroons,  was  landed  there,  but  was  a  few  months  after- 
wards in  the  same  year  destroyed,  and  the  colonists  all  murdered  by  the 
Indians.  It  then,  in  common  with  the  whole  territory,  on  both  sides  of 
the  mouth  of  Delaware  bay,  for  thirty-two  miles  up  from  the  sea,  bore  the 
name  of  Swanendael.  It  remained  unsettled  until  1659,  when  it  was  pur- 
chased of  the  Indians  a  second  time  by  the  Dutch  West  India  Company,  and 
was  by  the  company  transferred  Immediately  to  the  city  of  Amsterdam, 
although  it  had  been  purchased  of  the  Indians  by  Godyn  and  others  in 
1629,  and  by  them  assigned  to  the  West  India  Company  in  1535.  Hazard?* 
Anruds  of  Pennsylvania,  23,  39,  255-7.    A  colony  of  Mennonists,  directed 


JESUITS.   DOMINE  TESSEMAKER. 


221 


fess  the  Roman  Catholic  religion,  have  great,  indeed,  all 
freedom  in  Maryland,  because  the  governor  makes  pro- 
fession of  that  faith,  and  consequently  there  are  priests  and 
other  ecclesiastics  who  travel  and  disperse  themselves 
everywhere,  and  neglect  nothing  which  serves  for  their 
profit  and  purpose.  The  priests  of  Canada  take  care  of 
this  region,  and  hold  correspondence  with  those  here,  as  is 
supposed,  as  well  as  with  those  who  reside  among  the 
Indians.  It  is  said  there  is  not  an  Indian  fort  between 
Canada  and  Maryland,  where  there  is  not  a  Jesuit  who 
teaches  and  advises  the  Indians,  who  begin  to  listen  to  them 
too  much ;  so  much  so,  that  some  people  in  Virginia  and 
Maryland  as  well  as  in  New  Netherland,  have  been  appre- 
hensive lest  there  might  be  an  outbreak,  hearing  what  has 
happened  in  Europe,  as  well  as  among  their  neighbors  at 
Boston ;  but  they  hope  the  result  of  the  troubles  there  will 
determine  many  things  elsewhere.  The  Lord  grant  a  happy 
issue  there  and  here,  as  well  as  in  other  parts  of  the  world, 
for  the  help  of  his  own  elect,  and  the  glory  of  his  name. 
We  will  now  leave  Maryland,  and  come  back  to  New 


by  Peter  Cornelisen  Plocklioy,  left  Holland,  and  established  itself  at  the 
Hoerekil  in  1662,  under  the  authority  of  the  city  of  Amsterdam.  This 
new  colony  was  plundered  by  the  English  on  the  conquest  of  New  Neth- 
erland  in  1664. 

The  transaction  to  which  the  journalist  refers  happened  eight  years 
afterwards.  It  was  perpetrated  by  the  proprietor  of  Maryland  in  vindica- 
tion of  his  title,  though  it  seems  to  have  been  ruthlessly  done,  and 
without  justification.  It  occurred  in  the  summer  of  1672,  when  Lord 
Baltimore  sent  an  expedition  to  the  Hoerekil,  consisting  of  sixty  men  at 
first,  but  afterwards  reduced  to  thirty  men  and  horse,  under  one  Jones, 
who,  "  in  derision  and  contempt  of  the  Duke's  authority,  bound  the  magis- 
trates and  inhabitants,  despitefully  treated  them,  sifted  and  plundered 
them  of  their  goods,  and  when  it  was  demanded  by  what  authority  he 
acted,  answered  in  no  other  language  but  a  cocked  pistol  to  his  breast, 
which  if  it  had  spoken,  had  forever  silenced  him."  Hazard's  Annals,  398. 
N.  T.  Colonial  Manuscripts,  XX,  37. 

The  name  of  the  town  of  Hoerekil  was  changed  to  Deal  in  1680,  and 
subsequently  to  Lewes,  and  is  now  Lewis  or  Lewiston. 


222 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


Castle  (Sandhock),  on  the  South  river,  where,  in  the  house  of 
our  friend  Ephraim  Hermans,  the  Lord  had  brought  us,  and 
our  friends  received  and  lodged  us  with  affectionate  hearts. 

ldth,  Saturday.  Mr.  Moll,  who  is  the  president  [of  the 
court]  and  one  of  the  principal  men  in  the  South  [river,] 
having  finished  his  business  in  the  court  which  was  now 
ended,  had  intended  to  ride  this  morning  to  a  plantation 
which  he  had  recently  purchased  on  Christina  kil,  and 
would  have  been  pleased  to  have  had  us  accompany  him, 
and  look  at  the  lands  about  there,  which  he  said  were  very 
good ;  but  as  the  hard  and  rainy  weather  of  yesterday  had 
not  yet  cleared  up,  he  put  off  the  journey  until  Monday,  in 
hopes  he  would  then  have  our  company,  when  he  would 
provide  a  horse  for  each  of  us,  and  Ephraim  would  also  go 
with  us.  Meanwhile  we  went  to  see  whether  there  would 
be  any  means  of  returning  to  the  Manatlmns  notwithstand- 
ing the  ice,  either  by  land  or  sea.  If  we  should  return  by 
water,  we  would  be  able  to  see  the  lower  parts  of  this  river, 
the  Hoere-kil  and  others;  but  no  opportunity  presented 
itself,  because  it  was  so  late  in  the  year,  there  being  no  navi- 
gating in  consequence  of  every  one  being  afraid  of  the  ice. 

11th,  Sunday.  We  had  an  opportunity  to-day  to  hear 
Domine  Tessemaker,  which  we  did,  but  never  heard  worse 
preaching,  and  I,  therefore,  had  little  desire  to  go  again  in 
the  afternoon,  though  I  was  misled  by  the  ringing  of  the  bell. 
He  is  a  man  who  wishes  to  effect  some  etablissement  or 
reform  here,  but  he  will  not  accomplish  much  in  that 
respect,  as  he  not  only  has  no  grace  therefor,  but  there 
seems  to  be  something  in  his  life  which  will  hereafter  mani- 
fest itself  more.  For  the  present  we  can  say  with  truth 
that  he  is  a  perfect  worldling.1    It  seems  that  in  these 

1  Domine  Peter  Tessemaker  remained  in  charge  of  the  church  at  New 
Castle  until  1682,  when  he  accepted  a  call  to  Schenectady,  where  he  fell  a 
victim  to  the  massacre  perpetrated  by  the  French  and  Indians  in  February, 
1CJ0.  His  head  was  cloven  open,  and  his  body  burnt  to  the  shoulder  blades. 


EXCURSION  TO  CHRISTINA  CREEK. 


223 


spiritually,  as  well  as  physically,  waste  places,  there  is  never- 
theless, a  craving  of  the  people  to  accept  any  thing  that 
bears  even  the  name  of  food,  in  order  to  content  rather 
than  satisfy  themselves  therewith.  Nevertheless  the  Lord 
will  take  pity  upon  these  his  lands,  as  we  hope,  for  it 
appears  indeed  that  the  seed  of  the  elect  is  here,  especially 
among  those  of  European  descent. 

18^A,  Monday.  We  four,  namely,  Mr.  Moll,  Ephraim,  my 
comrade  and  myself,  after  we  had  breakfasted,  started  about 
nine  o'clock,  on  horseback,  from  New  Castle  for  Christina 
kil.  "We  obseiwed  the  land  through  which  we  rode  was 
sometimes  only  common  soil,  until  we  reached  a  plantation 
which  Mr.  Moll  and  Ephraim  owned  together,  lying  on  a 
branch  of  that  creek,  and  which  was  a  good  piece  of  land. 
Ephraim  having  finished  the  business  for  which  he  had  come 
here,  of  having  planks  sawed  for  boarding  a  new  clap-board 
house  he  had  built,  left  us  and  rode  back  to  New  Castle, 
and  we  continued  on  after  we  had  looked  at  a  grist-mill 
which  the  Swedes  had  constructed  upon  one  of  the  branches 
of  the  creek,  a  considerable  distance  along  another  of  them. 
We  discovered  here  and  there  pieces  of  good  land,  but 
they  were  not  large,  and  were  along  the  creek.  The 
greater  portion  of  the  country  was  only  common  land. 
Evening  coming  on,  we  rode  back  to  the  plantation  of  a 
Mr.  Man,  lying  upon  a  neck  of  land  called  Cheese-and-bread 
(Caes-en-broot)  island,  which  is  a  good  piece  of  ground,  and 
up  to  which  the  creek  is  navigable  for  large  boats  or  barks. 
This  man  is  a  great  friend  of  Mr.  Moll.  We  were,  there- 
fore, very  welcome,  and  slept  there  this  night. 

19th,  Tuesday.  After  breakfast  we  rode  out  in  company 
with  Mr.  Man,  to  look  at  several  pieces  of  land  which  they 
very  highly  recommended  to  us,  but  it  was  because,  as  they 
said,  they  wished  to  have  good  neighbors,  though  some- 
times neighbors  did  not  amount  to  much.  It  was  now  in 
the  afternoon,  and  we  rode  towards  home,  over  a  plain 


224 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


where  the  deer  ran  out  of  the  road  in  herds.    Coming  to 
the  large  creek,  which  is  properly  called  Christina  kil,  we 
found  Mr.  Moll  had  not  correctly  calculated  the  tide,  for  he 
supposed  it  would  he  low  water  or  thereabout*,  whereas 
the  water  was  so  high  that  if  was  not  advisable  to  ride 
through  it  with  horses,  and  we  would  have  to  wait  until 
the  water  had  fallen  sufficiently  for  that  purpose.  While 
we  were  waiting,  and  it  began  to  get  towards  evening,  an 
Indian  came  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  creek,  who  knew 
Mr.  Moll,  ;iih1  lived  near  there  at  that  time,  and  had  per- 
haps heard  us  speak.    He  said  that  we  would  have  to  wait 
there  too  long;  hut  if  we  would  ride  a  little  lower  down, 
he  had  a  canoe  in  which  he  would  carry  us  over,  and  we 
might  swim  the  horses  across.    We  rode  there  at  once,  and 
found  him  and  his  canoe.    We  unsaddled  the  horses,  and 
he  swam  them  over  one  by  one,  being  in  the  canoe  and 
holding  them  by  the  bridle.    When  we  were  over,  we  quickly 
saddled  them  and  rode  them  as  fast  as  they  could  run,  so 
that  they  might  not  be  cold  and  benumbed.    It  was  entirely 
dark,  and  we  remarked  to  each  other  the  providence  of  the 
Lord  in  this  Indian  coming  there;  for  otherwise  we  would 
not  have  known  how  to  find  the  way  through  the  woods  in 
consequence  of  the  great  darkness.    It  was  bad  enough  as 
it  was,  on  a  path  that  both  the  horses  and  Mr.  Moll  were 
acquainted  with,  for  we  could  scarcely  see  each  other  some- 
times.   We  reached  New  Castle  happily  about  eight  o'clock 
in  the  evening,  much  rejoiced,  and  thanking  Mr.  Moll. 

20th,  Wednesday.  While  we  were  in  Maryland,  and  were 
crossing  over  the  Sassafras  river,  we  saw  a  small  English 
ship  lying  there,  which  they  told  us  would  leave  about 
the  English  Christmas.  We  now  learned  from  Mr.  Moll, 
that  he  was  going  to  write  by  her,  and  was  willing  if  we 
wrote,  to  allow  our  letters  go  to  London  under  cover  of 
his;  and  also  that  he  should  soon  go  to  Maryland  to  at- 
tend the  court  now  about  to  be  held  there.    We  deter- 


AN  ENTAILED  ESTATE. 


225 


mined,  therefore,  not  to  permit  the  opportunity  to  pass  by 
of  writing  home. 

21st,  Thursday.  We  finished  our  letters  to-day.  We 
perceived  it  would  be  in  vain  to  wait  for  a  chance  to  go  to 
the  Manathans  by  sea,  and  there  would  be  no  opportunity 
to  go  up  the  river.  "We,  therefore,  finally  concluded  to 
hire  a'canoe  and  a  person  to  take  us  up  the  river;  and  ac- 
cordingly agreed  with  one  Jan  Boeyer,  for  fifty  guilders  in 
zeewan,  and  a  dollar  for  the  canoe  a  day,  to  leave  the  next 
day  if  it  were  possible.  Whereupon,  Ephraim  and  his  wife, 
who  had  done  their  best  herein,  as  well  as  other  friends, 
set  about  writing  letters  for  us  to  take  to  the  Manathans. 
Meantime,  Ephraim  received  news  that  his  father  was  near 
his  end,  and  had  to  be  handled  by  one  or  two  men  to  turn 
him  in  bed,  and  that  he  desired  once  more  to  speak  to 
him. 

22<i,  Friday.  It  had  frozen  some  this  morning,  and  Jan 
Boeyer  manifested  little  disposition  to  go  up  the  river, 
declaring  that  with  such  a  frost  as  this,  the  river  above 
was  all  frozen  up;  and  though  there  was  no  probability 
of  it,  we  had  to  wait.  Ephraim  and  Mr.  Moll,  left  together 
for  Maryland  to  see  Ephraim' s  father,  who  wanted  to  speak 
to  him,  as  we  heard,  in  relation  to  the  land  or  manor 
which  he  possessed  there  ;  for  while  he  had  given  portions 
to  all  his  other  children,  namely,  one  son  and  three  daugh- 
ters, he  had  made  Ephraim,  his  oldest  son,  heir  of  his  rank 
and  manor,  according  to  the  English  law,  asj^s  de  commys, 
that  is,  Ephraim  could  enjoy  the  property  during  his  life, 
and  hire  or  sell  it  for  that  period,  but  upon  his  death,  it 
must  go  to  his  oldest  son,  and  so  descend  from  heir  to  heir. 
Mr.  Moll  was  the  witness  of  this,  and  had  the  papers  in  his 
care.  It  seemed  that  the  father  wished  to  make  some 
change  because  we  had  been  there,  and  he  had  offered  us 
a  part  of  the  land.  We,  therefore,  think  we  will  hear  what 
he  shall  have  done  in  the  matter. 

29 


226 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


Although  it  had  frozen  hard,  yet  when  the  sun  rose  high 
ahout  nine  o'clock,  it  was  ordinarily  pleasant  and  handy 
weather,  hut  there  was  no  decision  on  the  part  of  our 
skipper  to  leave.  In  the  meantime  we  had  the  house  with 
Ephraim's  wife  alone,  and,  therefore,  more  freedom  and 
opportunity  to  speak  to  her  of  God,  and  godly  things, 
which  she  well  received.  We  expect  something  good 
from  her  as  well  as  from  Ephraim. 

28d,  Saturday.  The  weather  was  milder,  and  there  was 
some  fog  which  cleared  away  as  the  sun  rose.  We  went 
to  see  Jan  Boeyer  again,  hut  he  had  no  intention  to  make 
the  journey.  We  heard  it  was  not  so  much  on  account  of 
the  ice,  as  of  the  small-pox,  which  prevailed  very  much  up 
the  river,  and  which  he  had  never  had.  There  was  no  use 
of  striving  with  him,  and  we  determined,  therefore,  to  hire 
soinehody  else,  if  we  could  find  any  person.  Mr.  Peter 
Aldrix  made  inquiry  for  us,  but  to  no  purpose,  and  we 
had  to  wait  and  depend  upon  God's  providence.  We 
heard,  however,  of  some  people  who  had  arrived  in  a 
canoe  from  Christina  kil,  and  that  even  in  that  creek  there 
was  no  ice  yet,  or  up  the  river. 

2-ith,  Sunday.  Domine  Tessemaker  being  at  Apoque- 
mene  there  was  no  preaching  to-day  at  Kew  Castle  but 
prelecting.  We  went,  however,  to  the  church,  in  order 
not  to  give  offense.  Much  of  the  reading  we  could  not 
bear,  but  we  hope  others  were  more  edified  than  we  ex- 
pected to  be. 

It  was  very  fine  weather  and  it  annoyed  us  that  we  had 
to  wait  so.  This  evening  there  arrived  a  canoe  with 
Swedes,  who  had  come  from  half  way  below  the  falls,  and 
of  whom  we  inquired  whether  there  were  any  ice  up  the 
river.  They  said  there  was  not,  and  they  were  going 
back  the  next  day.  We  endeavored  to  make  an  agree- 
ment with  them  to  cany  us,  but  they  asked  entirely  too 
much,  namely,  an  anker  of  rum,  which  would  amount  to 


DESCRIPTION  0F  NEW  CASTLE. 


227 


about  120  guilders  iu  zeewan ;  whereupon  we  rebuked 
them  for  their  exorbitancy.  The  Swedes  and  Fins,  particu- 
larly, have  this  fault,  and  generally  towards  strangers  ;  but 
as  it  seemed  to  me  they  had  drank  a  little  too  much,  we 
let  the  matter  rest  in  the  hope  they  would  talk  more 
reasonably  to-morrow. 

25th,  Monday.  The  weather  being  good,  we  spoke  again 
to  our  Swedes,  but  they  continued  obstinate ;  and  also  to 
Jan  Boeyer,  but  nothing  could  be  done  with  him  either. 
While  we  were  standing  on  the  shorev  talking  with  them 
about  leaving,  I  saw  coming  down  the  river  a  boat  which 
looked  very  much  like  that  of  the  quaker  of  Upland,  as 
indeed  it  was.  He  landed  at  New  Castle  and  was  going  to 
Ephraim's  house,  where  he  had  some  business  to  transact, 
intending  to  leave  the  next  day.  "We  asked  him  if  he 
was  willing  to  take  us  with  him,  and  he  said,  he  would 
do  so  with  pleasure.  We  were  rejoiced,  observing  the 
providence  of  the  Lord  who  took  such  fatherly  care  of 
us.  There  stood  Jan  Boeyer  and  the  Swedes  cheated  by 
their  own  covetousness.  Robert  Wade  and  his  wife  lodged 
at  Ephraim's,  which  assured  us  our  journey  would  be  com- 
menced the  next  day. 

26th,  Tuesday.  All  the  letters  having  been  collected  to- 
gether,  which  we  were  to  take  with  us  and  deliver,  and 
the  quaker  having  finished  his  business,  we  breakfasted 
together,  and  courteously  took  leave  of  all  our  acquaint- 
ances ;  but  especially  with  some  love,  of  Madam  Ephraim, 
named  Elizabeth  van  Rodcnburgh.  She  had  shown  us  much 
kindness,  and  given  us  good  hope  that  the  Lord  will  not 
forget  her  therein. 

We  will  observe  before  leaving  Sand-hoek,  that  it  has 
always  been  the  principal  place  on  the  South  river,  as  well 
in  the  time  of  the  English  as  of  the  Dutch.  It  is  now 
called  New  Castle  by  the  English.  It  is  situated  on  the 
west  side  of  the  river  upon  a  point  which  extends  out  with 


228 


JOURNEY  TO  TITE  DELAWARE. 


a  sandy  beach,  affording  a  good  lauding  place,  better  than 
is  to  be  found  elsewhere  on  that  account.  It  lies  a  little 
above  the  bay  where  the  river  bends  and  runs  south  from 
there,  so  that  you  can  see  down  the  river  southerly,  the 
greater  portion  of  it,  which  presents  a  beautiful  view  in 
perspective,  and  enables  you  to  see  from  a  distance  the 
ships  which  come  out  of  the  great  bay  and  sail  up  the 
river.  Formerly  all  ships  were  accustomed  to  anchor 
here,  for  the  purpose  of  paying  duties  or  obtaining  per- 
mits, and  to  unload  when  the  good-  were  carried  away  by 
water  in  boats  or  barks,  or  by  land  in  carts..  It  was 
much  larger  and  more  populous  at  that  time,  and  had  a 
small  fort  called  Nassau  ;  hut  since  the  country  has  be- 
longed to  the  Knglish,  ships  may  no  longer  come  here,  or 
they  must  first  declare  and  unload  their  cargoes  at  New 
York,  which  has  caused  this  little  place  to  fall  off  very 
much,  and  even  retarded  the  settlement  of  plantations. 
What  remains  of  it  consists  of  about  fifty  houses,  most  all 
of  wood.  The  fort  is  demolished,  but  there  is  a  good 
block-house,  having  some  small  cannon,  erected  in  the 
middle  of  the  town,  and  sufficient  to  resist  the  Indians  or 
an  incursion  of  Christians ;  but  it  could  not  hold  out  long. 
This  town  is  the  capital  of  justicp,  where  the  high  court 
of  the  South  river  is  held,  having  three  other  courts  subor- 
dinate to  it,  from  which  appeals  lie  to  it,  as  they  do  from 
it  to  Xew  York,  and  from  Xew  York  to  England.  These 
three  minor  courts  are  established,  one  at  Salem,  a  small 
village  of  quakers  newly  commenced  on  the  east  side  of 
the  river  not  far  from  Xew  Castle  ;  another  is  at  Upland, 
on  the  west  side  above  Xew  Castle,  a  Swedish  village,  and 
the  third  is  at  Burlington,  a  new  quaker  village  on  the 
east  side  of  the  river  above  Xew  Castle.  Xew  Castle  is  about 
eighty  miles  from  the  falls,  and  the  same  distance  from 
the  mouth  of  the  river  or  the  sea.  The  water  in  the  river 
at  Xew  Castle,  at  ordinary  flood  tide  is  fresh,  but  when 


THE  PRINCIPAL  INHABITANTS. 


229 


it  is  high  spring  tide,  or  the  wind  blows  hard  from  the 
south  or  southeast,  it  is  brackish,  and  if  the  wind  continues 
long,  or  it  is  hard  weather  it  becomes  a  little  saltish. 
With  a  new  or  full  moon  it  makes  high  water  at  New  Castle 
at  five  o'clock.  The  principal  persons  whom  we  have 
seen  are  Mr.  Moll  and  his  wife,  Ephraim  Hermans  and  his 
wife,  Peter  Aldrix  and  his  wife,  and  Domine  Tessemaker. 

As  regards  Mr.  Moll,  he  lived  in  his  youth  at  Amster- 
dam, in  order  to  learn  business.  He  afterwards  went  to 
Bristol,  in  England,  where  he  carried  on  a  reasonably  large 
business  which  he  had  begun  to  do  at  Amsterdam.  In  the 
war  between  England  and  Holland,  he  lost  so  much  that  he 
failed,  or  made  an  agreement  with  his  creditors.  He,  there- 
fore, immigrated  to  this  country,  and  after  trading  in  Vir- 
ginia and  Maryland  some  time,  came  to  New  Castle  to  live, 
where  he  has  two  or  three  plantations,  upon  which  he 
raises  tobacco,  more  for  the  purpose  of  paying  his  creditors, 
as  he  himself  informed  me,  than  because  he  seeks  this 
manner  of  gain  and  life,  intending,  as  soon  as  he  can 
release  himself,  to  go  and  live  upon  the  land,  and  support 
himself  by  what  Cod  may  be  pleased  to  give  him.1  Touch- 
ing the  hope  of  grace  discoverable  in  him  it  is  very  slight, 
although  he  has  listened  with  attention  to  all  we  have  said 
to  him,  requesting  us  to  continue,  and  that  he  might  be 
favored  with  a  letter  from  us  on  the  subject,  or  some  books 
such  as  we  might  deem  necessary,  and  willing,  with  a  full 
heart,  to  do  us  every  service  in  his  power  in  these  quarters 
or  elsewhere,  as  he  had  done  many,  and  endeavored  to  do 
still  more.    The  Lord  will  do  for  him  as  it  pleases  him. 

The  wife  of  Mr.  Moll  is  an  English  woman,  a  pious 
independent.  When  he  married  her,  she  lived  in  a  large 
house  where  many  persons  dwelt  together,  separate  from 
all  other  assemblies  and  the  attachments  of  the  world,  seek- 


See  note  on  page  180,  ante. 


230 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


ing  nothing  except  to  serve  God  in  peace  and  uprightness, 
and  having  their  own  preacher  and  other  ministers.  I>ut 
with  all  this  she  remains  a  great  rmi.iitl'inc,  as  to  which  we 
have  spoken  to  her.    They  have  only  one  son. 

Ephraim  Hermans  is  the  oldest  child  of  Augustine  Her- 
mans, there  being  two  hrothers  and  three  sisters,  one  of 
whom  lives  now  at  Amsterdam.  They  are  all  of  a  Dutch 
mother,  after  whose  death  their  father  married  an  English 
woman,  who  is  the  most  artful  and  despicable  creature  that 
can  he  found.  He  is  a  very  godless  person,  and  his  wife, 
hy  her  wickedness,  has  compelled  all  these  children  to  leave 
their  father's  house  and  live  elsewhere.1  Ephraim,  the 
oldest,  having  gone  into  business,  settled  at  New  Castle, 
his  oldest  sister  keeping  house  for  him.  He  had  for  a  long 
time  sought  in  marriage  at  New  York,  a  daughter  of  the 


•Augustine  Hermans,  or  Jlecrmans,  called  also  Ilarman,  was  a  Bohe- 
mian by  birth,  hut  came  from  Holland  to  New  Amsterdam  inorbefore 
1047,  in  winch  year  he  was  appointed  by  the  director  and  council  of  New 
Netherland,  one  of  the  Nine  .Men,  a  body  of  citi/.i  ns  selected  to  assist  t lie 
government  by  their  counsel  and  advice.  He  came  over  to  this  country  as 
a  clerk  to  John  and  Charles  Gabry,  of  Amsterdam.  He  was  sent,  in  com- 
pany with  Resolved  Waldron,  by  the  Dutch  governor,  to  the  governor 
of  .Maryland,  to  confer  in  relation  to  the  claim  of  title  of  the  proprietor  of 
Maryland  to  the  South  river.  This  no  doubt  led  to  his  subsequent  settle- 
ment on  Bohemia  river,  so  named  by  him,  in  that  province.  He  seems  to 
have  been  a  surveyor  and  draughtsman.  In  addition  to  the  map  of  Mary- 
land, stated  b}'  our  journal  to  have  been  made  by  him,  which  seems  to  have 
been  the  consideration  for  the  grant  of  Bohemia  manor,  he  made  a  sketch 
of  the  city  of  New  Amsterdam,  which  was  engraved  on  Nicolas  Jan 
Visscher's  map  Novi  BeUjii  Noraque  Anglia  nee  non  parti*  Virginia,  pub- 
lished in  1050-0,  and  also  on  a  reduced  scale  from  Visscher's  map  on  the 
map  prefixed  to  the  second  edition  of  VanderdonK 's  Description  of  New 
Netherland.  His  first  wife  was  Janneken  Verlett  of  Utrecht,  whom  he 
married  at  New  Amsterdam,  December  10, 1050,  and  by  whom  he  had 
children:  1,  Ephraim  George,  baptized  September  1,  1652;  2,  Casparus, 
baptized  July  2,1056 ;  3,  Anna  Margaretta,  baptized  March  10, 1058;  Judith, 
baptized  May  9,  1000,  and  Francina,  baptized  March  12,  1002.  New  York 
Manual  1803,  723.  Brodhead,  475,  501,  021,  606.  Aster's  List  of  Maps  and 
Charts  of  New  Netherland,  12,  21. 


EPHRAIM  HERMANS  AND  HIS  WIPE.  231 


late  governor  of  the  island  of  Curacoa,  in  the  Carihhean 
sea,  belonging  to  the  Dutch  West  India  Company,  whose 
name  was  Johan  van  Bodenburgh.1  She  lived  with  her 
mother  on  the  Mcmhatan,  who,  after  the  death  of  her  hus- 
band, Rodenbm^gh,  married  one  Joannes  van  Burgh,  by  whom 
she  had  several  children.2  Her  daughter,  Elizabeth  van 
Rodenburgh,  being  of  a  quiet  turn  of  mind,  and  quite 
sickly,  had  great  inclination  to  remain  single.  Ephraim, 
however,  finally  succeeded  in  his  suit,  and  married  her  at 
New  York.3  He  brought  her  with  him  to  'New  Castle  on 
the  South  river,  and  we  accompanied  them  on  the  journey. 
Ephraim  had  been  a  bad,  artful  fellow  in  his  youth,  and 
lived  in  all  godless  ways,  but  the  Lord  seized  his  heart, 
whereby  he  began  to  repent,  and  saw  that  he  mu^t  live 
otherwise,  the'Lord  compelling  him.  He  found,  however, 
no  ground  or  strength,  but  having  a  good  conception  of 
spiritual  matters  or  religion,  as  far  as  could  be  the  case  in 
such  a  man,  he  saw  nothing  but  untruth,  falsehood  and 
deception  in  all  that  was  done  in  relation  to  God  and  godly 
things,  and  great  hypocrisy  in  the  best  persons  with  whom 
he  was  acquainted.  Convinced  of  this,  and  seeing  no 
better  result,  he  remained  in  suspense,  although  he  pro- 
fessed the  doctrines  of  the  reformed,  and  was  a  member 
of  their  church.  Seeing  our  life,  and  hearing  us  speak, 
he  has  begun  to  see  the  difference,  and  discover  the  truth 
received  in  the  heart.  He  has  examined  himself  in  several 
things,  and  corrected  them,  and  was  disposed  to  do  more, 

1  According  to  the  Cara<;oa  papers  at  Albany,  Lucas  Rodenburgh  was 
appointed  provisional  director  of  Curacoa  August  22,  1644.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded, probably  on  his  death,  by  Mr.  Beek  in  December,  1655.  O'Calla- 
ghan's  Calendar  of  Dutch  Manuscripts,  329, 330.  N.  Y.  Colonial  History,  II, 
46. 

aSee  Calendar  of  Butch  Manuscripts,  331. 

s  The  bans  of  this  marriage  were  published  3d  September,  1677.  New 
York  Manual,  1862, 593. 


232 


•JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


as  we  had  persuaded  him.  May  the  Lord  bestow  upon 
him  his  true  grace,  who  puts  it  in  our  hearts  to  heseech 
this  for  him  with  confidence.     vVe  commit  all  to  him.1 

I  lis  wife,  Elizabeth  van  Rodeuhurgh,  has  the  quietest 
disposition  we  have  ohserved  in  America.  She  is  politely 
educated.  She  has  had  through  her  entire  youth  a  sleep- 
ing sickness  of  which  she  seems  now  to  be  free.  She 
has  withdrawn  herself  much  from  the  idle  company  of 
youth,  seeking  God  in  quiet  and  solitude.  She  professes 
the  reformed  religion,  is  a  member  of  that  church,  and 
searches  for  the  truth  which  she  has  found  nowhere  except 
in  the  word  and  preaching,  which  she,  therefore,  much 
attended  upon  and  loved,  but  which  never  satisfied  her,  as 
she  felt  a  want  and  yearning  after  something  more.  She 
was  so  pleased  at  our  being  near  her,  and,  lodged  at  her 
house,  she  could  not  abstain  from  frequently  declaring  so, 
receiving  all  that  we  said  to  her  with  gratitude,  desiring 
always  to  be  near  us ;  and  following  the  example  of  her 
husband,  he  corrected  many  things,  with  the  hope  and 
promise  of  persevering  if  the  Lord  would  be  pleased  so  to. 
give  her  grace.  \Ve  were  indeed  comforted  with  these  two 
persons,  who  have  done  much  for  us  out  of  sincere  love. 
The  Lord  pities  them,  and  will  keep  his  promise  to  this 
house. 

Margaret  Hermans  possesses  a  good  disposition,  although 
a  little  wild,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  country.  She 

1  In  addition  to  the  clerkship  of  the  courts  at  New  Castle  and  Upland, 
Ephraini  Hermans  filled  other  places  of  trust  and  confidence  on  the  Dela- 
ware. Like  his  father  he  was  a  surveyor.  He  was  clerk  of  permits, 
entries,  and  clearings  of  customs  on  the  Delaware,  and  receiver  of  quit- 
rents  on  that  river  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  courts  above  mentioned. 
In  1GT9,  he  was  sent  to  New  York  in  company  with  Mr.  John  Moll  and 
Captain  Cautwell  by  the  justices  at  New  Castle  to  represent  certain 
grievances  to  the  governor.  He  had  four  children  at  least,  as  we  find  that 
number  baptized  in  the  church  at  New  York,  namely,  Augustine,  Augus- 
tina,  Samuel  and  Ephraim.  Breciate,  Penn  vs.  Calvert.  Hazard's  Annals. 
N.  T.  Manual,  1863. 


RETURNING  UP  THE  RIVER. 


233 


complained  that  she  was  like  a  wild  and  desolate  vine, 
trained  up  in  a  wild  and  desolate  country ;  that  she  had 
always  felt  an  inclination  to  know  more  of  -God  quietly, 
and  to  serve  him,  hoping  the  Lord  would  he  merciful  to 
her.  She  treated  us  with  great  affection,  and  received 
thankfully  and  acceptahly  what  we  said  to  her.  "We  did 
not  see  her  on  our  return,  as  she  had  gone  to  attend  upon 
her  father ;  and  we,  therefore,  have  not  conversed  much 
with  her.    The  Lord  will  do  with  her"  as  it  pleases  him. 

Peter  Aldrix  came  from  Groningen  to  this  country  in 
the  year  '63  or  '64,  for  the  Lord  Burgomasters  of  Am- 
sterdam, as  chief  of  their  cargoes  and  storehouse  in  respect 
of  the  trade  with  the  Indians,  and  thus  was  at  the  head  of 
their  office  on  the  South  river.  Whether  he  had  been  in 
this  country  before  or  not,  I  do  not  know.1  He  did  not 
occupy  his  place  long,  for  the  English  shortly  afterwards 
took  the  country  and  deprived  him  of  all  he  had ;  yet  he 
has  remained  here,  gaining  his  livelihood  by  various 
means  as  well  as  he  can,  and  seems  to  have  gradually  suc- 
ceeded. He  had  a  ketch  made  for  the  purpose  of  trad- 
ing to  the  [West  India]  Islands,  and  elsewhere.  He  has  a 
large  family  of  children,  and  others.  He  sought  to  render 
us  as  much  service  as  he  could,  but  for  the  things  of  grace 
he  is  not  inclined.  He  is  a  mundane,  but  is  not  vicious. 
The  Lord  can  use  him  as  it  pleases  him. 

These  are  the  persons  at  New  Castle  with  whom  we  have 
some  acquaintance,  and  such  the  hope  they  have  given  us. 
We  have  promised  them  to  continue  it,  and  write  to  them, 
and  send  them  such  books  as  we  might  deem  necessary 
for  them. 

Returning  now  to  our  boat,  it  left  about  ten  o'clock  for 
a  place  a  little  higher  up  the  river  where  they  had  to  take 
in  some  wheat,  and  where  we  were  to  go  on  foot,  with  the 


1  See  note  on  page  190,  ante. 

30 


2:!4 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


quaker's  wife.  We  reached  it  about  noon,  and  found  the 
boat  laden,  and  lying  high  up  on  the  land,  so  that  we  had 
to  wait  until  the  tide  was  half  flood.  We  saw  there  a 
piece  of  meadow  or  marsh,  which  a  Dutch  woman  had 
dyked  in,  and  which  they  assured  us  had  yielded  an  hun- 
dred for  one,  of  wheat,  notwithstanding  the  hogs  had  done 
it  great  damage.  The  boat  getting  afloat,  we  left  about 
three  o'clock,  and  moved  up  with  the  tide.  The  weather 
was  pleasant  and  still,  with  a  slight  breeze  sometimes  from 
the  west,  of  which  we  availed  ourselves;  but  it  did  not 
continue  long,  and  we  had  to  rely  upon  our  oars.  We 
arrived  at  Upland  about  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and 
it  was  there  only  half  flood,  so  much  later  does  the  tide 
make  there  than  at  New  Castle.  The  quaker  received  us 
kindly,  gave  us  supper,  and  counseled  with  us  as  to  how 
we  should  proceed  further.  We  were  6hown  a  better 
place  to  sleep  than  we  had  when  we  were  here  before. 

27tlt,  Wednesday.  It  rained  some  during  the  night  and  it 
was  very  misty  early  in  the  morning.  Before  the  tide 
served  to  leave,  we  agreed  with  this  man  who  had  brought 
us  up,  to  send  us  in  his  boat  to  Burlington,  with  two  boys 
to  manage  it,  paying  him  twenty  guilders  for  the  boat,  and 
three  guilders  a  day  to  each  of  the  boys  for  three  days, 
amounting  in  the  whole  to  thirty-eight  guilders;  but  one 
of  the  boys  wishing  too  much,  he  determined  to  take  us  up 
himself.  A  good  wind  coming  out  of  the  south,  we 
breakfasted  and  dined  in  one  meal,  and  left  about  ten 
o'clock,  with  a  favorable  wind  and  tide,  though  at  times 
the  wind  was  quite  sharp.  We  sailed  by  Tinakonk  again, 
but  did  not  land  there.  It  began  at  noon  to  rain  very  hard, 
and  continued  so  the  whole  day,  and  also  blew  quite  hard. 
We  ran  aground  on  the  lee  shore  upon  a  very  shallow  and 
muddy  place,  from  which  we  got  off  with  difficulty.  On 
account  of  this  and  other  accidents,  if  we  had  had  the  boys 
it  would  have  been  bad  for  us.    We  arrived  at  Wykakoe,  a 


PETER  ALDRICH'S  ISLAND.  235 

Swedish  village  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  in  the  even- 
ing at  dusk,  where  we  went,  all  wet,  into  the  house  of  one 
Otto,  who  had  three  children  lying  sick  with  the  small-pox. 
We  dried  ourselves  here  partly.  He  gave  us  supper  and 
took  us  to  sleep  all  together  in  a  warm  stove  room,  which 
they  use  to  dry  their  malt  in  and  other  articles.  It  was 
very  warm  there,  and  our  clothes  in  the  morning  were 
entirely  dry. 

28th,  Thursday.  It  was  flood  at  daylight  when  we  left,  but 
had  not  gone  far  before  I  discovered  I  had  left  one  of  my 
gloves  behind,  whereupon  we  ran  the  boat  ashore,  and  I 
went  back  and  found  it.  My  comrade  was  more  unfortu- 
nate, for  after  we  had  proceeded  full  two  hours,  and  when 
we  were  going  to  breakfast  on  what  our  female  friend  had 
given  us,  he  found  he  had  left  his  knife  and  fork ;  but  we 
had  gone  too  far  to  lose  the  time  to  go  back  for  them. 
The  weather  was  foggy,  but  when  the  sun  had  risen  a  little, 
it  cleared  away  and  became  pleasant  and  calm.  We  there- 
fore advanced  rapidly,  rowing  with  the  tide,  and  reached 
Takany  of  which  we  have  before  spoken,  about  ten  o'clock, 
and  where  we  landed  a  person  who  had  come  up  with  us. 
We  continued  on,  and  as  the  tide  just  commenced  rising 
there  we  had  a  constant  flood  tide  with  us  to  Burlington, 
where  we  arrived  about  two  o'clock.  We  were  put  ashore 
on  an  island  of  Peter  Aldrix  who  had  given  us  a  letter  of 
recommendation  to  a  person  living  there,  and  working  for 
him.  We  paid  Robert  Wade  who  and  his  wife  are  the 
best  quakers  we  have  found.  They  have  always  treated 
us  kindly.  He  went  immediately  over  to  Burlington 
where  he  did  not  stop  long,  and  took  the  ebb  tide  and 
rowed  with  it  down  the  river.  It  was  not  bigh  tide  for 
an  hour  and  a  half  after  we  arrived  at  the  island,  and  there 
is,  therefore,  a  difference  of  eleven  hours  or  more  in  the 
same  tide  from  New  Castle. 

The  man  who  lived  on  this  island  was  named  Barent, 


236  JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 

and  came  from  Groningcn.  He  was  at  a  loss  to  know 
how  to  get  us  on  farther.  Horses,  absolutely,  lie  could  not 
furnish  us;  and  there  was  no  Indian  about  to  act  as  a 
guide,  as  they  had  all  gone  out  hunting  in  the  woods,  and 
none  of  them  had  been  at  his  house  for  three  weeks.  To 
accompany  us  himself  to  Adder  kol  or  the  Raritam,  and  re- 
turn, could  not  be  accomplished,  in  less  than  four  days, 
and  he  would  have  to  leave  his  house  meantime  in  charge 
of  an  Indian  woman  from  Virginia,  who  had  left  her  hus- 
band, an  Englishman,  and  with  two  children,  one  of  which 
had  the  small-pox,  was  living  with  him;  and  she  could 
be  of  no  use  to  any  one,  whether  Indians  or  other  persons 
who  might  come  there.  "We  were  compelled  again  to  wait 
upon  the  providence  of  the  Lord. 

About  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  a  young  Indian 
arrived  with  whom  we  agreed  to  act  as  our  guide,  for  a 
<lufHels  coat  which  would  cost  twenty-four  guilders  in 
zeewant,  that  is,  about  five  guilders  in  the  money  of  Hol- 
land ;  but  he  had  a  fowling-piece  with  him  which  he  de- 
sired first  to  take  and  have  repaired  at  Burlington,  and 
would  then  come  back.  He  accordingly  crossed  over,  but 
we  waited  for  him  in  vain,  as  he  did  not  return.  The 
greatest  difficulty  with  him  was,  that  we  could  not  speak 
the  Indian  language,  and  he  could  not  speak  a  word  of 
any  thing  else.  He  not  coming,  we  asked  Barent  if  he 
would  not  undertake  the  task,  which,  after  some  debate,  he 
consented  to  do.  He  arranged  his  affairs  accordingly,  and 
prepared  himself  by  making  a  pair  of  shoes  or  foot-soles  of 
deer  skin,  which  are  very  comfortable,  and  protect  the 
feet.  That  was  done  in  half  an  hour.  "We  were  to  give 
him  thirty  guilders  in  zeewant,  with  which  he  was  satisfied. 

29th,  Friday.  We  breakfasted,  and  left  about  ten  o'clock 
in  a  canoe,  which  set  us  on  the  west  side  of  the  river, 
along  which  a  foot  path  runs  a  part  of  the  way,  in  an  east 
northeast  direction,  and  then  through  the  woods  north 


COURSE  OF  THE  RIVER. 


237 


northeast.  We  followed  this  path  until  we  came  to  a 
plantation,  newly  begun  by  a  quaker,  where  we  rested  and 
refreshed  ourselves.  We  agreed  with  this  man,  who  came 
in  the  house  while  we  were  there,  that  he  should  put  us 
over  the  river  for  three  guilders  in  zeewant.1  We  crossed 
over  about  one  o'clock,  and  pursued  a  foot  path  along  the 
river,  which  led  us  to  a  cart  road,  and  following  that  we 
came  to  the  new  grist-mill  at  the  falls,  which,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  great  flow  of  water,  stood  in  danger  of  being 
washed  away.2  Crossing  here,  we  began  our  journey  in 
the  Lord's  name,  for  there  are  no  houses  from  this  point 
to  Peskatteway,  an  English  village  on  the  Raritans.  We 
had  now  gone  twelve  or  thirteen  miles  from  Peter  Aldrix's 
island,  and  it  was  about  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

We  must  here  make  some  general  observations  in  rela- 
tion to  the  South  river.  The  Dutch,  who  first  discovered 
and  took  possession  of  it,  so  named  it,  undoubtedly  because 
it  empties  into  the  sea  in  the  most  southerly  part  of  New 
Netherland,  to  wit,  in  latitude  39°  north,  being  one  de- 
gree and  twenty  minutes,  or  more,  further  sotith,  than  the 
mouth  of  the  North  river.  It  runs  up  from  the  sea  north- 
westerly, making  a  fine,  large  bay,  much  better  than  that 
of  the  North  river,  or  Godyn's  bay.  It  is  not  only  of 
greater  length,  which  is  about  forty  miles,  with  a  breadth 
of  six  or  seven  miles ;  but  it  has  a  fine  bottom  of  sand,  and 
gravel  reefs  all  along  the  banks.  The  water  is  purer  up 
above.  From  the  inside  or  middle  of  the  bay,  its  course 
to  the  narrow  part,  or  river  is  mostly  south  [north]  or 
bent  gradually  from  northwest  to  north,  with  here  and  there 
a  small  bay,  and  it  continues  running  so,  from  twenty  to 
twenty-four  miles,  or  more,  to  New  Castle,  where  it  bends 
to  the  east  to  northeast,  with  several  bays  on  both  sides,  to 
Upland  and  Timkonk,  a  distance  of  twenty-four  miles.  At 


1  This  was  at  or  near  Bordentown. 
1  At  or  near  Trenton. 


238 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


Tinakonk,  it  runs  about  east  or  east  northeast,  but  having 
passed  that  island  it  bcars'off  again,  north  to  northeast; 
also,  with  several  bays  to  Wykakoc  about  twenty  miles,  and 
continuing  so  to  Takany,  sixteen  miles.    From  Takany 
to  Burlington,  it  runs  again  more  easterly  and  east  north- 
east twenty  miles,  thence  due  east  six  miles,  where  there 
is  a  round  bay  turning  north  to  north  northwest  to  the  falls 
four  miles,  so  that  from  the  falls  to  the  sea  coast  it  is 
about  eighty  English  miles,  or  twenty  Dutch  miles,  from 
New  Castle  each  way.    It  has  numerous  fine  navigable 
creeks  on  both  sides  of  it,  which  are  like  small  rivers  run- 
ning far  inland,  but  how  far  is  not  yet  known ;  nor  is  it 
known  how  far  the  south  river  extends  above  the  falls,  as 
they  have  not  explored  above  them.    This  river  is  gene- 
rally very  clear.    I  do  not  know  that  there  is  any  thing 
above  to  be  avoided,  except  occasionally  a  muddy  point  on 
the  margins.    Heavy  ships,  drawing  10,  12  and  14  feet 
water,  go  up  the  river  as  far  as  Burlington,  and  higher; 
but  in  the  great  bend  where  it  runs  to  the  falls,  it  can  be 
navigated  close  to  the  falls  by  boats,  drawing  five  and  six 
feet  and  more.    The  land  on  the  east  side  is  generally 
lower  than  on  the  west,  and  is  not  so  good.    It  continues 
very  flat,  deep  into  the  country,  as  you  go  far  down.  On 
the  west  side  the  land  is  tolerably  high,  immediately  off 
from  the  river,  and  is  generally  good  all  the  way  down. 
Both  sides  being  low  this  river  is  better  to  navigate  than 
the  North  river,  for  that  has  very  high  banks,  which  being 
frightfully  steep  and  rocky,  it  is  subject  to  great  whirl- 
winds and  squalls,  which,  coming  suddenly  over  the  hills, 
fall  upon  the  river,  which  is  no  small  inconvenience.  The 
water  which  comes  over  the  falls  is  pure  and  clear,  and  is 
quite  blue,  but  running  lower  down,  it  gradually  becomes 
muddy,  but  is  entirely  clear  again  at  Takany,  and  reasona- 
bly so  at  Wikakoe  ;  further  on  it  becomes  thick,  but  it  is 
always  good.    As  to  the  salubrity  of  the  climate  of  which 


CLIMATE.    SWEDISH  SETTLEMENTS. 


239 


we  did  not  say  any  thing  when  we  spoke  of  Maryland,  it 
is  certain  that  Virginia  being  the  lowest  on  the  sea,  is 
the  most  unhealthy  where  they  [die]  by  thousands  some- 
times of  the  epidemical  disease  of  the  country.  In  Mary- 
land, which  lies  higher  up  from  the  sea  than  Virginia,  it  is 
more  healthy,  although  it  is  subject  to  the  epidemic. 
Therefore,  all  those  who  come  into  the  country,  must 
undergo  this  sickness  without  escape.  Even  the  children, 
who  are  born  there,  are  not  excepted,  as  those  who  live 
there  and  have  experienced  it,  told  us  when  we  were 
there.  And  although  their  manner  of  life  is  the  cause  of 
much  irregularity  in  their  health,  there  is,  nevertheless, 
something  in  the  atmosphere  which  produces  disease  :  but 
this  will  become  gradually  better,  as  the  country  is  mea- 
surably populated,  and  thereby  becomes  more  cleared,  as 
experience  shows  is  true  of  all  the  lands  in  America, 
which  have  been  unhealthy.  The  uppermost  parts  of 
Maryland  are  more  healthy  than  those  lowest  down.  The 
South  river  is  more  salubrious  than  Maryland,  as  it  lies 
higher.  It  partakes,  however,  somewhat  of  the  nature  of 
#  Maryland,  especially  below,  but  with  great  difference, 
which  every  year  increases.  The  higher  the  more  healthy; 
although  at  the  Hocrekil  which  is  near  the  sea,  it  is  as  healthy 
as  anywhere,  because  it  is  well  populated.  In  the  upper 
part  of  the  river,  it  is  as  healthy  as  it  can  be  anywhere, 
and  for  myself,  I  believe  that  New  Netherland  has  not  a 
place  in  it  which  is  not  healthier  than  any  part  of  old 
Netherlands  in  the  United  Provinces,  and  is  becoming 
every  day  more  salubrious,  especially  if  they  live  here 
as  they  do  in  Holland.  The  North  river  is  entirely 
healthy,  for  it  lies  much  higher  up  than  the  South 
river,  that  is  further  to  the  north,  and  although  it  is 
nearer  the  sea  than  where  they  live  in  Maryland  and  on 
the  South  river,  it  is,  nevertheless,  more  wholesome,  which 
shows  that  it  is  not  the  air  of  the  sea  which  causes  the 


240 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


insalubrity,  but  other  reasons  which  I  will  not  consider 
at  present. 

As  the  Hollanders  were  the  first  discoverers  of  this  river, 
they  were  also  the  first  residents,  settling  themselves  down 
in  small  numbers  at  the  Hoerekil,  and  thereabouts,  and  at 
Santhocck,  though  the  most  people  and  the  capital  of  the  coun- 
try were  at  the  Manhatans,  under  the  rule  and  authority  of 
the  West  India  Company.  The  Indians  killed  many  of  them 
because  they  did  not  live  well  with  them,  especially  with 
their  women,  from  which  circumstance  this  kil  derives  its 
name.  Others  fled  to  the  Manhatans,  but  afterwards  re- 
turned, and  have  since  continued  in  possession  of  the  river, 
although  in  small  numbers  and  with  little  strength.  Mean- 
while, some  Swedish  soldiers,  who  had  been  in  the  service 
of  the  West  India  Company,  went  to  Sweden,  and  there 
made  known  the  fact  that  the  country  was  so  large 
the  Hollanders  could  not  possess  it  all,  especially  the  river 
called  the  South  river,  lying  next  to  Virginia,  their  old 
friends,  and  that  it  was  only  necessary  to  go  there  with  a 
small  number  of  people  to  take  possession  of  it,  as  no  one 
in  that  country  was  powerful  enough  to  prevent  it.  They 
accordingly  ordered  a  levy  to  be  made  of  men,  half  of 
them  under  the  name  of  soldiers,  and  half  of  boors,  and 
sent  them  under  a  certain  commander,  to  settle  on  the  west 
side  of  the  river,  well  knowing  where  the  best  and 
healthiest  climate  was,  namely,  up  the  river,  and  being 
thus  near  their  friends,  the  English.  Whether  these  good 
friends  here  or  in  Europe,  have  not  assisted  them  in  this 
matter,  is  not  known.  They  thus  established  themselves 
there,  the  Hollanders  either  being  not  strong  enough  or  too 
negligent  to  prevent  them,  whilst  the  West  India  Company 
began  gradually  to  fail,  and  did  not  hinder  them.  The 
Swedes,  therefore,  remained,  having  constructed  small  fort- 
resses here  and  there,  where  they  had  settled  and  had 
Swedish  governors. 


WEST  JERSEY.   BYLLINGE  AND  FENWTCK.  241 


The  Hollanders  did  not  abandon  this  river,  but  they,  as 
well  as  the  Swedes,  sought  to  advance  their  settlements ; 
but  although  the  whole  country  belonged  to  them,  they 
were,  nevertheless,  unable  to  possess  it,  the  company  either 
having  too  much  to  do  elsewhere,  or  not  ability  sufficient,  or 
sending  over  too  few  people.  They  have,  always,  however, 
had  their  forts,  without  hindrance  or  molestation  from  the 
Swedes,  or  being  brought  under  their  dominion.  This 
continued  during  the  time  the  burgomasters  of  the  city 
of  Amsterdam  had  this  territory  under  their  protection,  up 
to  the  year  1664,  when  Governor  Stuyvesant  went  there 
with  a  large  force,  planted  himself  before  the  fortress  of 
Christina  on  Christina  kil,  cannonaded  it  and  compelled 
them  to  surrender  it  with  all  their  government  to  him,  in 
the  name  of  the  city  of  Amsterdam.1  In  that  year  the 
whole  country  was  reduced  under  the  dominion  of  the 
crown  of  England,  which  put  an  end  to  the  rule  of  the 
Hollanders,  who  had  then  recently  conquered  the  Swedes. 

The  east  side  of  the  river,  which  is  now  entirely  in  the 
possession  of  the  quakers,  has  never  been  claimed  by  any 
one,  although  here  and  there  lived  a  Swede,  as  also  among 
the  Swedes,  here  and  there  dwelt  a  Hollander.  But  when 
the  whole  country,  in  the  year  1664,  came  to  the  crown  of 
England  under  the  Duke  of  York,  the  duke  or  the  king 
gave  the  land  lying  between  the  two  rivers,  namely,  the 
North  river  and  the  South  river,  the  easterly  part  to  my 
Lord  Carteret,  and  the  westerly  part  to  my  Lord  Berkeley, 
but  without  a  boundary  line  between  them.  This  remained 
so  a  long  time  when  Mr.  Byllinge,  a  brewer  of  London, 
failed  there.    Berkeley,  who  was  a  great  friend  of  his,  as 


1  It  seems  hardly  necessary  to  mention  that  the  journalist  has  fallen  into 
an  error  in  regard  to  the  time  of  the  expedition  of  Stuyvesant  against  the 
Swedes  on  the  Delaware,  and  that  it  took  place  in  1655,  and  not  in  1664. 
Otherwise  his  statement  is  quite  accurate. 

31 


242 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


well  as  many  other  courtiers,  and  frequented  Lis  brewery 
daily,  came  to  his  brewery  and  told  him  that  as  he,  the 
brewer,  was  a  broken  man,  he  could  advise  him  how  to 
recover  his  fortune ;  that  if  he  would  furnish  him  a  sum 
of  money,  he  would,  by  authentic  writings,  make  over  to 
him  a  tract  of  land  which  the  king  had  given  him.  This 
suited  the  brewer  very  well,  who  succeeded  in  obtaining 
the  money  from  his  friends,  and  this  land  was  accordingly 
transferred  to  him.  But  as  the  affairs  of  the  brewer  would 
not  permit  him  to  act  himself,  he  had  a  friend  named  Fen- 
wick,  also  a  quaker,  who  was  to  transact  the  business  in  his 
own  name,  for  him  the  brewer,  in  consideration  of  which 
Fenwick  was  to  enjoy  a  tenth  of  the  whole  westerly  part. 
Fenwick  managed  it  in  his  name  so  well  that  he  would  soon 
have  stripped  the  other  of  all,  but  means  were  afterwards 
employed  to  compel  him  to  be  satisfied  with  his  tenth. 
Fenwick  had  letters  printed  and  circulated  everywhere, 
in  which  he  described  this  portion  of  the  country  in  glow- 
ing colors ;  that  it  was  the  luij  lek/cerland,1  especially  for 
those  who  were  of  the  same  religious  sentiments  as  him- 
self. Many  persons  of  this  belief  thereupon  bought 
pieces  of  land,  parceled  out  only  on  the  map,  according  to 
the  imperfect  knowledge  which  they  then  possessed,  first 
into  tenths,  of  which  Fenwick  had  one,  and  then  each  tenth 
into  hundredths,  embracing  water,  morasses,  swamps  and 
marshes,  so  that  these  poor  people  bought  they  knew  not 
what.  Fenwick  hereupon  came  over  to  this  country,  with 
a  portion  of  these  people,  in  order  to  take  possession  of 
what  they  had  bought;  but  he,  being  in  debt  in  England, 
was  arrested  on  the  eve  of  departure,  and  compelled  to 
leave  the  original  letters  of  authorization  in  the  hands  of 
his  creditors,  and  could  obtain  himself  nothing  but  copies 


1  A  kind  of  paradise,— literally  a  land  where  there  is  nothing  to  do,  and 
every  delicacy  to  be  enjoyed. 


SALEM.   QUAKER  WISDOM. 


243 


thereof.  With  these  he  arrived  in  the  South  river,  and 
demanded  the  country  from  the  chief  rulers  there,  who 
required  the  production  of  his  authority,  which  he  refused 
a  long  time,  but  not  being  able  to  obtain  justice,  he  brought 
forward  his  copies  to  show  them,  whereupon  these  princi- 
pal men  referred  him  to  their  sovereign  governor  at  New 
York,  who  has  not  yet  been  able  either  to  reject  or  admit 
the  claim.  They  landed,  however,  after  some  tumult,  but 
without  bloodshed,  and  have  remained  there,  constantly 
bringing  more  people,  and  the  governor  tolerating  them.1 
Every  one  of  the  purchasers  who  arrives  here  is  at  a 
loss  to  know  where  he  has  bought,  and  so  settles  down 
where  he  thinks  best,  leaving  it  to  be  determined  hereafter; 
and  finding  more  land  has  been  sold  than  can  be  delivered, 
looks  out  for  himself.  Inasmuch  as  they  are  thrown 
under  the  government  of  New  York,  they  have  two  small 
courts  to  decide  trifling  cases,  in  order  thereby  to  save 
travel.  Meanwhile  the  country  was  recovered  by  the 
Hollanders  in  1673,  and  then  again,  by  treaty  of  peace, 
surrendered  to  the  crown  of  England,  whereby  the  Dutch 
lost  all  their  right  to  the  westerly  part  a  second  time,  unless 
the  provision  in  the  treaty  that  all  things  should  remain  as 
before  the  war,  should  restore  them  their  pretended  right. 
But  if  this  clause  only  relates  to  the  two  peacemaking 
parties,  it  remains  justly  with  the  crown  of  England. 
Finally,  there  is  the  utmost  confusion  without  any  good 
foundation  for  it. 


1  Fenwick,  holding  West  Jersey  in  trust  for  Edward  Byllinge  by  deed 
from  Lord  Berkeley,  as  stated  by  our  journalist,  arrived  in  the  Delaware  in 
June,  1G75,  and  landed,  says  Smith,  the  early  historian  of  New  Jersey,  "  at 
a  pleasant,  rich  spot,  situated  near  Delaware,  by  him  called  Salem,  from 
the  peaceable  aspect  it  then  bore."  Fenwick  was  a  soldier,  and  not  to  be 
deterred  by  slight  opposition.  He  commanded  the  squadron  of  cavalry 
which  attended  at  the  execution  of  Charles  I.  The  difficulties  as  to  his 
title  in  West  Jersey  are  set  forth  in  Smith's  History  of  New  Jersey,  and  John- 
son's Historical  Account  of  Salem. 


244 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


There  are  quakers  who  either  are  more  wise,  or  through 
poverty,  act  so,  who  do  not  buy  any  land  on  the  east 
side  of  the  river,  but  buy  on  the  west  side,  where  it  is 
cheaper  in  consequence  of  the  Indians  being  there.  The 
quakers  have  endeavored  to  break  up  the  Dutch  and  others 
not  of  their  religion,  who  have  lived  of  old  on  the  east  side 
of  the  river,  but  resist  them,  and  are  sustained  by  the 
authorities.  How  far  this  may  be  carried,  and  what  may 
be  the  result,  time  will  show.  Tin;  Indians  liate  the 
quakers  very  much  on  account  of  their  deceit  and  covetous- 
ness,  and  say  they  are  not  Englishmen,  always  distinguish- 
ing them  from  all  other  Englishmen,  as  is  also  done  by 
almost  all  other  persons.  The  Indians  say  "  they  are  not 
Christians,  they  are  like  ourselves."  The  deeds  of  all  landa 
bought  on  the  South  river  from  the  government  of  New 
York,  contain  a  provision  that  they  must  be  settled  upon 
within  three  years,  or  they  will  revert  to  the  king.  Every 
acre  of  land,  whether  cultivated  or  not,  pays  a  bushel,  that 
is,  one  schepel  and  a  fifth  of  wheat.  The  meadows  (raleyen), 
pay  nothing.  The  swamps  (creupel  bos),  cattle  and  men, 
are  free. 

We  will  now  resume  our  journey.  "When  we  passed  by 
the  mill,  a  quaker  was  there  who  gave  us  a  letter,  and  told 
us  it  was  difficult  traveling,  on  account  of  the  height  of 
the  water  in  the  creeks;  that  about  eight  miles  further  on, 
some  Indians  had  come  to  live,  a  little  off  the  path  on  the 
left  hand.  We  thought  we  would  reach  there  by  evening. 
"We  left  the  falls  about  two  o'clock,  following  the  ordinary 
path,  which  is  the  same  for  men  and  horses,  and  is  grown 
up  on  both  sides  with  bushes,  which  wore  our  breeches, 
stockings  and  shoes,  as  much  as  all  the  woods  in  Maryland 
together.  The  road  runs  from  here  east  northeast.  When 
we  came  upon  the  land  above,  we  found  an  extraordinary 
quantity  of  water,  not  only  upon  the  flats  and  in  the  val- 
leys, brooks,  and  morasses,  but  also  upon  the  high,  solid 


WET  QUARTERS.   WADING  THE  RIVER.  245 


ground.  We  supposed  this  was  caused  by  shutting  up  the 
creek  by  the  mill  dam,  whereby  the  water  did  not  have 
shoot  sufficient  to  run  down,  but  it  was  not  that  alone. 
We  pursued  our  way,  however,  courageously,  but  disco- 
vered no  Indians  up  to  evening.  We  called  aloud  to  ascer- 
tain whether  they  were  about  there,  as  they  would  answer 
if  they  were ;  and  as  our  guide  could  speak  the  Indian  lan- 
guage well,  we  thought  it  would  all  come  right.  But  it 
was  to  no  purpose ;  we  perceived  no  Indians.  We  had 
gone  about  twelve  miles  from  the  falls,  and  it  began  to 
grow  dark,  when  we  came  to  a  hill  descending  to  a  creek  or 
small  river  called  Milstone  river,  whence  we  saw  fire  at  a  dis- 
tance, and  supposed  that  Indians  or  other  people  might  be 
about  there.  We,  therefore,  called  out  again  several  times, 
but  received  no  answer.  On  arriving  at  the  creek  we  found 
it  so  full  of  water,  and  running  so  swiftly,  there  was  no 
prospect  of  crossing  it  that  evening,  the  more  so,  as  it  was 
almost  entirely  dark.  We  looked  about  for  some  wood, 
though  there  was  not  much  at  this  place,  and  collected  as 
much  as  we  thought  we  would  want  to  burn  for  the  whole 
night.  We  made  a  good  fire,  and  after  warming  and 
drying  ourselves,  eat  our  supper  from  what  we  had  brought 
in  our  traveling  bag.  At  last  we  lay  down  around  the  fire 
and  fell  asleep,  having  traveled  twenty-five  miles  during 
the  day ;  but  our  rest  did  not  continue  long,  as  it  began  to 
rain  hard  before  midnight,  and  we  soon  awoke  and  arose 
to  attend  to  our  fire,  in  order  that  it  might  not  be  extin- 
guished. The  rain  continued  so  long  and  increased  so  that 
we  could  not  sit  down,  because  the  place  was  so  full  of 
water.  We  had  to  take  care  and  protect  the  fire  from  going 
out,  which  gave  us  enough  to  do.  It  was  quite  calm,  or 
blew  very  little,  the  wind  coining  from  all  quarters ;  never- 
theless, we  could  not  dry  ourselves,  although  we  kept  turn- 
ing continually  round  towards  the  fire.  We  were  wet 
through,  and  could  do  nothing  better  than  to  stand  straight 


240 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


up,  whereby  from  the  length  of  time  and  the  weight  of 
our  clothes  we  became  very  weary  instead  of  having  the 
repose  we  so  much  needed.  "Walk  or  sit,  we  could  not, 
because  it  was  too  dark,  and  the  land  too  full  of  water  for 
the  former,  and  for  the  other  it  was  too  wet.  We  were 
compelled  to  wait  with  patience  in  this  position  until  day- 
light, which  seemed  to  tarry,  because  we  longed  for  it  so 
much.  It  was  one  of  the  shortest  days  in  the  year,  with 
dark  and  rainy  weather.  Each  one  looked  out  for  the  day 
as  if  we  could  thereby  cause  it  to  appear  sooner.  Finally, 
as  our  wood  was  consumed,  the  day  begun. 

307/t,  SatUrday.  As  soon  as  we  could  see,  we  went  to  the 
creek,  to  ascertain  whether  we  could  cross  over,  but  it  was 
as  full  and  the  water  ran  as  swiftly  as  the  evening  before, 
because  it  had  rained  continually,  and  was  still  raining; 
although  we  had  hoped  if  the  weather  had  remained  dry, 
the  water  would  have  subsided.  As  it  was,  there  was 
no  other  course  than  to  wade  over,  and  although  we  were 
stiff  and  cold,  we  had  to  take  off  our  stockings,  and  put 
our  bare  feet  in  the  shoes  to  protect  them  from  treading 
on  any  thing  sharp,  and  our  stockings  were  the  dryest 
articles  we  had.  We  bound  up  our  breeches  as  high 
as  we  could.  "  Now,"  said  I,  "  let  each  one  of  us  take  a 
good  stick  in  his  hand  in  order  to  prop  himself  up  against 
the  current,  and  prevent  his  being  washed  away."  Our 
guide  went  ahead  even  before  I  had  found  a  stick ;  but 
when  he  reached  the  middle  of  the  creek,  he  cried  out, 
"  Help,  help,  if  you  do  not  help  me,  I  will  be  carried 
away."  I  ran,  took  ofF  my  breeches,  placed  them  on  top 
of  my  head,  and,  struggling,  stick  in  hand,  with  the  stones 
washing  from  under  my  feet  and  stick,  went  to  him  and 
took  from  him  my  traveling  sack  with  which  he  was  bent 
down.  I  kept  on  and  was  nearly  across  when  my  foot 
slipped  on  a  smooth  stone,  and  I  fell  forward  into  the  wa- 
ter.  However,  by  the  aid  of  the  stick,  and  the  short  distance 


INDIAN  MANNERS  AND  HOSPITALITY.  247 


to  go,  I  succeeded  in  crossing,  the  sack  being  thoroughly 
wet.  Our  guide  who  had  on  leather  breeches,  which  became 
full  of  the  running  water,  whereby  he  could  not  get  along, 
now  rolled  them  up,  and  by  that  means  the  water  ran  out 
below  and  lightened  him,  and  thus  he  got  over.  My  com- 
panion was  yet  on  the  other  side,  with  his  traveling  bag 
and  two  dcgens  (swords  ?).  He  did  the  same  as  I  had  done, 
and  placed  his  breeches  on  top  of  his  head,  tied  the  rest  on 
well,  and  followed  us  ;  but  he  was  scarcely  in  the  middle 
of  the  creek  when  he  cried  out  to  us  to  come  and  meet 
him,  and  relieve  him  of  the  sack  if  we  wished  him  to  come 
over,  for  he  could  not  go  any  further.  "Whereupon,  I 
went  in  the  creek  again  to  him,  and  took  from  him  the 
sack.  Thus  we  all  three  waded  over.  "We  dressed  our- 
selves quickly,  for  it  was  very  cold,  putting  on  our  stiff 
legs,  the  wet  stockings,  which  chafed  them,  and  over  them 
the  water  soaked  shoes  and  the  breeches  which  were  wet 
through  with  the  rain  and  very  heavy :  and  then  taking  a 
mouth  full  of  rum,  we  set  out  again  on  the  way,  stiff  as  we 
were.  We  were  now  anxious  in  relation  to  crossing  this 
Milstone  at  halfway,  where  it  would  be  much  broader  and 
fuller  of  water.  "We  proceeded  then  badly  conditioned, 
wet,  cold  and  weary  enough.  We  had  thirty-six  miles  to 
travel  to-day  and  more  if  we  missed  the  road.  "We  kept 
up  our  spirits,  however.  "We  found  the  land  above  so  full 
of  water,  that  we  were  most  of  the  time  over  shoes  in  it, 
and  sometimes  half  leg  deep.  After  we  had  gone  four  or 
five  miles,  we  saw  the  houses  of  the  Indians  on  the  right, 
and  went  to  them  partly  for  the  purpose  of  drying  our- 
selves, for  though  the  rain  seemed  at  times  to  abate  it  still 
continued,  and  partly  to  inquire  the  best  way  to  go,  in 
order  to  cross  the  large  creek.  We  entered  their  dwelling 
where  we  dried  ourselves  and  breakfasted  a  mouthful  out 
of  our  traveling  sacks.  "We  presented  the  Indians  some 
fish-hooks  which  pleased  them.    As  to  crossing  the  large 


248 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


creek,  they  said  it  was  not  advisable  to  wade  over,  as  the 
water  was  as  high  as  our  shoulders  or  higher,  as  one  of 
them  showed  us,  and  the  current  was  so  swift  as  to  render 
it  impassible.  He  said  that  not  far  from  their  house  lived 
a  saekemaker  who  had  in  the  creek  a  canoe  with  which 
he  had  set  a  man  across  the  day  before,  who  had  a  horse 
which  he  swam  over;  but  the  saekemaker  was  not  pleased 
at  his  doing  so  without  his  permission.  "We  promised  him 
a  guilder  to  take  us  to  the  saekemaker.  While  we  were 
in  this  house  a  little  naked  child  fell  from  its  mother's  lap, 
and  received  a  cut  in  its  head,  whereupon  all  who  sat 
around  that  fire,  and  belonged  to  that  household,  began  to 
cry,  husband  and  wife,  young  and  old,  and  scream  more 
than  the  child,  and  as  if  they  themselves  had  broken  their 
arms  or  legs.  In  another  corner  of  this  house,  there  sat 
around  a  fire,  forming  another  household,  a  party  whose 
faces  were  entirely  blackened,  who  observed  a  gloomy 
silence  and  looked  very  singular.  They  were  in  mourn- 
ing for  a  deceased  friend.  The  Indian  having  made  him- 
self ready,  took  both  our  sacks  together  and  tied  them  on 
his  back  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  them,  which  did  not 
suit  us  badly,  as  we  were  very  tired.  lie  did  that  without 
our  asking  him,  and  conducted  us  in  a  direction  more 
southeasterly  to  their  king  or  saekemaker,  who  lived  two 
or  three  miles  from  there.  On  arriving  there,  they  imme- 
diately offered  us  some  boiled  beans  in  a  calabash,  cooked 
without  salt  or  grease,  though  they  brought  us  our  own  kind 
of  spoons  to  take  them  out  with.  It  was  the  queen  who  did 
this,  who  was  dressed  more  than  the  others.  She  gave  us 
also  a  piece  of  their  bread,  that  is,  pounded  maize  kneaded 
into  a  cake  and  baked  under  the  ashes.  "We  eat  some  of 
it,  more  for  the  purpose  of  satisfying  her  people,  than  our 
appetite.  Meanwhile  we  agreed  with  the  saekemaker  to 
set  us  across  the  river  for  three  guilders  in  zeewan.  "We 
presented  fish-hooks  to  several  of  them,  but  especially  to 


THE  VILLAGE  OF  NASSAU. 


249 


the  queen  who  had  entertained  us.  The  sackemaker  heing 
ready,  took  one  of  our  sacks  to  carry,  and  went  on  ahead 
of  us ;  and  there  went  this  king,  carrying  our  pack,  almost 
without  any  clothing  on  his  body.  He  conducted  us  to  the 
creek  which  was  two  or  three  miles  distant  to  the  north 
and  northeast  over  a  very  difficult  and  rocky  hill.  On  ar- 
riving at  the  creek  we  saw  there  certainly  would  have 
been  no  way  of  going  over,  for  the  water  was  very  high, 
and  ran  like  a  sluice.  We  were  then  put  across,  I  myself 
helping  the  sackemaker  and  our  sack-carrier  in  doing  it,  as 
it  was  difficult  to  go  over  even  in  a  canoe.  He  took  us  a 
piece  of  the  way,  until  we  came  to  the  right  path,  and  gave 
us  proper  directions  how  to  proceed  further.  He  was  to 
come  for  our  guide  the  next  day  and  carry  him  back. 

We  went  on  through  water  for  the  most  part  east  north- 
east, until  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  the 
rain  began  to  hold  up,  and  we  turned  into  a  road  on  the 
right,  which  runs  easterly  to  the  Haritans  kil.  We  did 
this  because  it  was  nearer,  as  they  said,  and  also  in  order 
to  go  to  a  young  Dutchman's  and  secure  good  lodgings, 
of  which  we  were  truly  in  want.  The  other  road  led  to 
Piskatteway  to  Mr.  Greenland's,  where  we  stopped  a  night 
in  going  on ;  yet  thi3  road  was  so  long,  and  it  was  so  diffi- 
cult to  travel  continually  through  the  water,  that  we  could 
hardly  proceed  any  further,  as  my  comrade  was  entirely 
exhausted.  We  were,  therefore,  half  afraid  we  would  be 
compelled  to  pass  the  night  in  the  woods.  We  picked  up 
courage,  however,  as  well  as  we  could,  and  arrived  at  dusk 
at  the  house  of  Cornelis  van  Langevelt  (Longfield),1  step- 
son of  Thomas,  the  baker  in  New  York.  He  lived  in 
that  house  alone  with  an  Indian,  who  assisted  him  in 


1  Cornelius  Longfield  was  one  of  the  deputies  to  the  general  assembly  of 
East  Jersey,  from  Piseataway,  in  1696-7.  Whitehead's  Contributions  to  the 
Early  History  of  Perth  Amboy,  403. 

32 


250 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


trading  with  the  Indians,  but  be  had  some  neighbors  who 
were  beginning  a  new  village  on  the  land  of  this  Thomas, 
the  baker,  directly  opposite  Pescatteway1  upon  the  point 
where  the  Milstone  river  unites  itself  with  the  Ronton*  kfl, 
and  Hows  down  to  Adder  hoi.  The  begun  village  had  no 
name  yet,  but  they  intended  to  call  it  Nassau.1  This 
Dutchman  was  a  good  acquaintance  of  Barent,  our  guide, 
and  we  were,  therefore,  welcome.  He  had  heard  of  our 
being  at  the  South  river,  and  expected  we  would  come 
over  here,  perhaps,  he  said,  to  be  neighbors.  He  recom- 
mended to  us  a  piece  of  land  here,  but  we  had  neither 
time  nor  inclination  to  go  and  look  at  it. 

We  had  special  reasons  to  thank  the  Lord,  and  let  our 
hearts  ascend  to  him  on  account  of  several  things  which 
we  here  take  notice  of  to  his  glory,  and  in  which  his  provi- 
dence and  goodness  have  assisted  us.  First,  if  we  had 
taken  the  before  described  Indian  with  us,  there  is  no  pro- 
bability we  would  have  come  right,  he  being  a  mere  boy, 
without  experience,  and  not  well  acquainted  with  the  road, 
especially  under  such  difficult  circumstances;  and,  worst 
of  all,  we  were  not  able  to  speak  a  word  with  him.  Our 
guide  said  several  times,  and  we  thought  so,  too,  that  when 
he  had  seen  these  difficulties,  he  would  have  deserted  us  in 
the  woods,  and  run  away,  as  he  could  easily  have  done, 
and  we  would  have  been  left  alone.  In  the  next  place, 
we  did  not  find  the  Indian  dwelling  on  the  other  side  of 
the  first  crossing,  as  we  had  wished,  and  supposed  we 
would  do.  And  if  we  had,  what  advice  would  there  have 
been  for  our  crossing  the  second  place  ?  We  would  then 
have  been  between  the  two  crossings  without  any  help. 
And  thirdly,   notwithstanding  all  our  hardships,  our 


1  This  -would  seem  to  have  been  not  far  from  New  Brunswick,  if  not  at 
that  identical  spot.  The  name  of  Milstone  is  evidently  applied  here  to  a 
portion  of  the  present  Raritan  river. 


NEW  YEAR'S  DAY  1680.  AMBOY. 


251 


hearts  possessed  such  strength  and  courage  until  we  hap- 
pily arrived.    To  him  he  glory  therefor  forever. 

Milstone  river  is  not,  as  is  usually  supposed,  the  Raritans 
ML,  for  that  runs  near  this  house  on  the  right  hand,  due  west, 
and  a  little  more  southerly  heyond,  and  this  one  before  the 
house,  runs  on  the  left  hand,  west-northwest,  and  a  little 
more  northerly  beyond.  It  has  its  source  above  the  falls 
of  the  South  river,  not  far  from  that  river,  and  runs  for 
the  most  part  north,  and  coming  from  thence,  makes  several 
great  bends,  and,  therefore,  in  going  from  Piscatteway  to 
the  South  river,  you  must  cross  it  three  times.  As  far  as 
known,  it  is  about  twelve  or  fourteen  Dutch  miles  to  this 
place  on  the  Raritans.  The  Milstone  is  not  very  wide, 
which  causes  the  current  to  run  so  much  swifter  when 
there  is  much  upper  water.  It  has  several  falls,  and  is 
shallow  in  dry  weather.  It  is,  therefore,  not  navigable, 
though  the  Indians  sometimes  come  down  in  their  little 
canoes,  made  of  the  bark  of  trees. 

31st,  Sunday.  As  we  proposed  to  rest  ourselves,  we  kept 
ourselves  quiet  to-day.  We  paid  our  guide,  giving  him 
two  ducatoons,1  that  is,  thirty-two  guilders  in  zeeicant, 
because  he  had  a  little  more  trouble  than  either  he  or  we 
had  expected,  and  presented  him  with  one  hundred  fish- 
hooks in  addition.  He  was  well  satisfied  and  thanked  us. 
He  left  after  breakfast  to  return  home.  Meanwhile,  we 
expected  a  boat  which  they  said  was  coming  to  load  with 
wood,  but  it  did  not  come. 

1680,  January  1st,  Monday.  The  boat  not  arriving,  and 
Christmas,  according  to  the  old  style,  being  near,  at  which 
time  there  is  not  much  boating,  every  one  endeavoring  to 
be  at  home,  we  were  apprehensive  it  would  not  come. 
TVe,  therefore,  made  an  agreement  with  one  of  the  neigh- 
bors, that  he  should  take  us  in  a  canoe  to  the  French 


1  Equal  to  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  in  our  money. 


252 


JOl'RXEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


tavern,  which  we  have  mentioned  before,  at  Elizabeth* 
town  point,  kil  <i<h1cr  kol,  for  twelve  guilders  in  zeewant. 
We  accordingly  left  ahout  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
through  a  beautiful  creek,  which  is  more  like  a  river,  with 
tine  large  meadows  or  marshes  on  both  sides  of  it.  We 
came  to  a  bank,  from  the  broken  point  of  which  a  beautiful 
white  clay  is  taken,  as  fine  as  I  have  ever  seen  anywhere, 
or  as  Cologne  earth  can  be.    At  the  same  place  there  are 
also  red  earth,  and  earth  entirely  black,  which  would  be 
suitable  for  various  purposes.     At  the  point  of  the  li<ifit<ius 
kil,  we  arrived  at  a  place  called  Amboy,  a  very  proper  site 
for  a  city  or  place  of  business.    From  there  you  can  look 
over  the  great  bay  between  the  Nevesinck  and  the  west  point 
of  Staten  island  into  the  sea.    As  regard  view,  therefore, 
it  lies  as  well  as  New  York,  and  is  quite  safe  to  be  reached 
by  ships.    The  land  around  it  is  tolerably  good,  and  there- 
fore, the  place  is  reserved  from  sale.    There  is  an  abun- 
dance of  oysters  on  the  shore,  considered  to  be  of  the  best. 
The  ebb  tide  being  spent,  we  entered  kil  <i<-hl<r  hoi  with  a 
good  wind  and  rowing  ahead,  arrived  at  about  three  o'clock 
at  the  point  of  Woodbridge  creek.    We  landed  here  on 
Staten  island  to  drink  at  the  house  of  the  Frenchman,  Le 
Chaudronnier,  where  we  formerly  passed  a  night  in  making 
our  tour  of  Staten  island.    He  set  before  us  something  to 
eat,  and  related  to  us  what  strange  opinions,  every  one,  as 
well  as  he  himself,  entertained  of  us,  which  were  certainly 
false  enough,  and  whereof  we  disabused  him.    From  there 
we  made  good  speed  past  Smoker's  hook,  and  by  evening 
arrived  at  the  point  of  Elizabethtown  creek,  in  the  tavern 
before  mentioned,  where  we  lodged  for  the  night;  but 
there  was  nothing  to  be  had  there  except  to  warm  us.  We 
were  no  sooner  in  the  house  than  it  began  to  rain  and  blow 
hard.    We  were,  therefore,  lucky  in  being  housed,  for  to  be 
in  such  weather  and  darkness  upon  the  water  in  a  canoe, 
is  not  without  danger.    We  again  perceived  the  Lord's 


SAFE  RETURN  TO  THE  CITY. 


253 


goodness  and  care,  for  which  we  rendered  him  thanks. 
We  discovered  no  chance  of  going  to  the  city  immediately, 
but  heard  that  two  boats  had  gone  down  this  afternoon, 
and  were  expected  back  the  next  day,  which  made  us  glad. 
"We  had  something  left  in  our  traveling  sack,  upon  which 
we  made  our  supper,  and  then  laid  ourselves  down  to 
sleep  in  our  old  fashion  upon  a  little  hay,  before  the  fire. 

2d,  Tuesday.  On  looking  out  at  daybreak,  we  found  quite 
calm,  good  weather,  but  no  boats ;  but  when  it  grew  lighter, 
we  saw  a  boat  lying  at  anchor  below  the  point.  She 
appeared  to  be  laden,  and  we  therefore  could  not  be  cer- 
tain that  she  would  come  up  further.  It  was  in  consequence 
of  her  being  laden  that  she  had  waited  there  for  daylight, 
although  she  had  a  good  tide  to  sail  up  to  the  city.  We 
ascertained  she  was  one  of  those  which  had  gone  down  the 
evening  before  ;  and  thereupon  looked  about  to  see  how  to 
get  on  board  of  her,  as  it  would  not  be  long  before  she 
would  leave.  The  landlord  took  us  and  another  person  in 
a  canoe  to  put  on  board,  but  before  we  had  paddled  half 
way,  we  saw  them  weigh  anchor,  and  get  under  sail.  We 
called  out,  and  pulled  with  all  our  might,  and,  as  it  was 
calm,  overtook  her  in  time,  and  went  on  board.  They 
were  Dutchmen  from  the  city,  and  were  even  our  neighbors. 
They  cheerfully  received  us;  we  paid  our  landlord,  who 
immediately  rowed  back. 

The  wind  began  to  blow  gradually  more  and  more  from 
the  west-northwest,  so  that  when  we  arrived  in  the  North 
river,  we  had  as  much  as  we  could  carry.  It  brought  us 
up  to  the  city  about  nine  o'clock,  where  we  had  not  yet 
set  a  foot  on  shore,  before  such  a  storm  burst  out  of  the 
northwest,  of  rain,  hail  and  snow  together,  that  every 
thing  seemed  to  bend  and  crack.  It  was  at  the  same  time 
so  cold,  it  appeared  as  if  this  weather,  whereby  the  winter 
was  begun,  had  held  back  until  we  had  arrived  in  the  city 
to  spend  the  winter.    We  cannot  pass  this  circumstance  by 


254 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  DELAWARE. 


without  Rome  reflections  upon  the  special  goodness  and  provi- 
dence of  the  Lord,  which  we  experience  so  constantly;  that 
he  caused  us  to  reach  the  land  and  house  on  the  point  of 
ElizftbethtowB  creek  before  the  storm  came  up  there;  that 
the  boat  came  to  anchor  there  and  took  us  on  board,  when 
she  had  a  good  tide  and  wind,  but  the  darkness  prevented 
her  from  keeping  on,  and  we  believe  no  more  boats  went 
there  afterwards,  not  only  during  Christmas,  but  during  the 
whole  winter;  and  thirdly,  that  as  soon  as  we  had  landed 
in  the  city,  such  a  great  storm  and  the  winter  began 
at  the  same  time  ;  to  which  may  be  added  a  fourth,  that 
we  hired  the  canoe  on  the  Raritans,  for  being  in  the  city,  I 
spoke  to  the  skipper  of  the  boat,  and  he  said  he  did  not 
expect  to  go  there  again  during  the  winter.  Certainly  if 
we  did  not  regard  all  this  with  an  humble  and  thankful 
heart,  we  should  he  guilty  indeed. 

But  before  we  depart  from  New  Jersey,  we  must  remark 
that  my  Lord  Carteret,  having  obtained  this  government, 
sent  here  his  nephew  [brother]  Carteret,  to  manage 
the  same  in  his  own  way.  This  Carteret  arriving  here 
from  England,  accordingly,  for  the  purpose  of  governing  it, 
went  first  to  New  England,  where  he  so  recommended  his 
plan  of  government,  and  promised  the  people  so  much  if 
they  would  go  with  him,  that  he  caused  a  large  number  of 
persons  to  follow  him  here  from  Piscataway  and  Wood- 
bridge,  two  places  so  called  in  New  England,  and  settle 
down  in  New  Jersey,  where  they  have  built  two  villages, 
called  Piscataway  and  "Woodbridge,  after  the  names  of  the 
places  where  they  had  lived  in  New  England.1  And 


" 1  Governor  Carteret  did  not  arrive  to  his  government  of  New  Jersey  till 
the  latter  end  of  the  summer,  1665.  With  him  came  about  thirty  people, 
some  of  them  servants.  They  brought  goods  proper  for  the  planting  a 
new  country ;  and  the  governor  soon  afterwards  sent  persons  into  New 
England  and  other  places  to  publish  the  proprietor's  concessions,  and  to 
invite  people  to  settle  there ;  upon  which  many  soon  came  from  thence. 


A  DISAPPOINTMENT. 


255 


indeed  they  did  not  do  badly  in  view  of  the  soil,  because 
it  is  much  richer  here  than  where  they  were,  although 
they  did  not  choose  the  best  land  here  by  far.  Besides 
these  people,  he  found  here  already  a  large  number  of 
other  persons  at  Ghnoenepa,  Bergen,  &c. 

"We  were  welcomed  on  our  arrival  by  our  old  people, 
and  we  rejoiced  and  praised  God,  for  we  had  seen  the 
storm  coming  while  we  were  on  the  water.  "We  rested 
and  warmed  ourselves,  then  refreshed  ourselves  a  little, 
and  in  the  afternoon,  delivered  a  portion  of  the  letters 
which  had  been  entrusted  to  us  from  the  South  river,  and 
Maryland.  Those  which  we  had  from  Ephraim  and  his 
wife,  we  gave  to  her  mother  and  father  (in-law)  who  wel- 
comed us.  "We  told  them  of  the  good  health  of  their  child- 
ren, and  the  comfort  and  hope  which  they  gave  us,  which 
pleased  them. 

3c?,  Wednesday.  We  put  our  chamber  in  order  this  morn- 
ing, and  in  the  afternoon  delivered  the  rest  of  the  letters. 
We  went  also  to  M.  de  la  Grange's,  where  we  saw  a  newly 
drawn  map  of  the  South  river,  from  the  falls  to  Burlington, 
made  by  the  land  surveyor  there.  He  told  us  the  governor 
had  given  him  a  grant  of  a  piece  of  land  on  the  South 
river  between  those  places. 

But  what  grieved  us  was,  on  arriving  here  to  find  no 
letters  by  Captain  Jacob,  when  we  had  so  much  expected 
them,  and  did  not  know  the  cause  of  there  being  none. 
But  we  consoled  ourselves  in  him  who  is  the  consolation 
of  all  those  who  know  him  and  trust  in  him ;  as  we  praised 
and  thanked  him  for  his  fatherly  protection,  his  constant 
care  and  guidance,  through  his  providence,  which  has  been 


Some  settled  at  Elizabethtown,  and  others  at  Woodbridge,  Piscataway  and 
Newark."  Smith's  History  of  New  Jersey,  67.  Piscataway  was  so  named 
from  Piscataqua  in  New  England,  and  Woodbridge,  from  the  Rev.  John 
Woodbridge,  of  Newbury,  Massachusetts,  from  which  two  places  the  first 
settlers  came.    Whitehead's  Contributions,  &c,  359,  401. 


250 


JOURNEY  TO  Till:  DELAWARE 


so  continual  and  so  manifest  in  our  whole  journey.  He 
causes  us  to  put  our  trust  in  him,  to  lose  ourselves  in  him, 
and  worthily  to  walk  in  such  grace  that  lie  may  he  glorified 
in  us  and  through  us  here,  during  our  lives,  in  grace,  and 
hereafter  in  glory.    Amen.    So  may  it  be. 

It  would  serve  very  well  to  add  now  a  general  descrip- 
tion of  the  country  through  which  we  have  traveled,  and 
of  each  part  in  particular;  but  as  we  intend  to  give  our- 
selves expressly  to  this  work,  we  will  omit  it  here,  and 
proceed,  meanwhile,  with  our  journal. 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


4th,  Thursday.  It  was  now  Christmas,  according  to  the  old 
style.  It  had  frozen  very  hard  during  the  night.  We 
went  to  church,  in  order  to  hear  Do.  Niewenhuise  preach, 
but  more  to  give  no  offense  to  the  people,  than  either  on  his 
or  our  own  account. 

5th,  Friday.  "We  began  writing. 

6th,  Saturday.  It  continued  to  freeze  hard,  though  during 
the  day  the  weather  was  more  moderate.  The  ice  was 
strong  and  mixed  with  snow. 

13th,  Saturday.  It  felt  like  a  change  of  weather.  In  all 
thffe  time  nothing  occurred  worthy  of  note  except  the  ships 
left  the  harbor  in  front  of  the  city,  on  Thursday,  for  Deutel 
bay,  a  cove  on  the  East  river,  about  three  miles  east  of  the 
city,  opposite  Hellgate,  where  they  lie  during  the  winter, 
to  be  out  of  the  way  of  the  floating  ice,  which  is  some- 
times very  great.1    On  Friday,  the  governor's  yacht  arrived 


1  Deutel  bay  was  a  small  bight  of  the  East  river,  nearly  opposite  the 
southerly  poiut  of  Blackwell's  island,  at  the  foot  of  46th  and  47th  streets, 
on  the  island  of  New  York.  Compare  Ratzer's  map  of  New  York,  1766-7, 
with  Bridge's  map  of  the  Commissioners,  1811.  Judge  Benson,  in  his 
memoir,  N.  Y.  Historical  Society  Collections,  second  series,  II,  96,  says, "  Deutel 
bay,  corrupted  to  Turtle  bay.  When  the  head  of  the  cask  was  further 
secured  with  pegs,  they  would  say  the  cask  was  gedeutelt ;  the  pegs  were 
short,  but  at  the  base  broad ;  the  bay  narrow  at  its  entrance,  broad  at  the 
bottom  ;  the  supposed  resemblance  between  the  bay  and  the  peg,  the  sup- 

33 


258 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


from  Virginia,  having  been  twenty-two  days  on  the 
way.  They  had  taken  a  sacknnakcr  there  with  whom  the 
governor  had  made  a  treaty  of  peaee  between  the  Indians 
and  English  in  that  quarter.  In  all  this  frost  and  cold  we 
have  discovered  little  difference  from  the  cold  in  Holland, 
except  that  when  the  sun  is  high,  that  is,  about  nine  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  it  is  a  little  milder  here.  It  thawed  every 
day  until  the 

lOtk,  Tuesday,  when  all  the  ice  and  snow  disappeared.  De 
la  Grange  having  a  new  small  map  of  a  portion  of  the 
South  river,  I  copied  it. 

24/A,  Wednesday.  Fred.  Flipsen  met  me,  and  told  me  the 
governor  had  been  at  his  house,  and  spoken  to  him  about 
us,  and  that  he  desired  to  see  us  and  talk  with  us.  "We, 
therefore,  determined  to  call  upon  him,  and  at  the  expira- 
tion of  three  days  of  rain  and  stormy  weather,  on  the 

26th,  Friday,  we  went  to  Fredryek  Flipsen,  that  he  might 
take  Ufl  to  the  governor,  as  he  had  promised,  and  as  he  did 
do.  The  governor  received  us  kindly,  and  told  us  he  had 
wondered  at  our  being  so  long  in  the  country  without 
coming  to  see  him.  "We  replied,  that  we  would  not  have 
failed  in  doing  so,  if  he  had  been  in  the  city,  for  when  we 
arrived  here  he  was  at  Penequik,  and  afterwards  when  he 
had  been  only  a  few  days  at  home,  with  much  business  to 
occupy  him,  he  left  for  Fort  Albany  just  as  we  were  going 
to  the  South  river.    We  separated  politely  from  each  other. 

30//t,  Monday.  A  person  who,  they  said,  was  the  thief- 


posed  origin  of  the  name.  "  This  derivation  of  the  name  is  merely  hypo- 
thetical, as  the  distinguished  writer  himself  declares.  If  we  may  judge 
from  the  topographical  authorities  which  we  have  cited  above,  of  the  very 
highest  character,  the  "  supposed  resemblance  "  between  the  bay  and  the 
peg  never  did  exist,  and  consequently  this  "  supposed  origin  "  of  the  name 
has  not  even  this  foundation.  The  name  occurs  early  in  our  records ;  a 
patent  was  issued  for  land  at  Deutal  bay  to  George  Horns  and  Thomas 
Hall,  on  15th  November,  1G38.  0 'Callayhari '*  Calendar  of  Dutch  Manu- 
scripts, 365. 


EXAMINED  BY  MAYOR  ROMBOUTS.  259 


catcher  (diefleycr),  came  to  our  house  in  the  evening,  and, 
by  order  of  the  governor,  summoned  us  to  appear  at  eight 
o'clock  the  next  morning  at  the  house  of  Rombouts,1  the 
mayor  of  the  city,  and  give  our  names  and  further  informa- 
tion as  to  our  doings  and  condition,  as  all  strangers  now 
and  henceforth,  whether  men  or  women,  must  do.  "We 
were  somewhat  astonished,  since  they  had  told  us,  as  was 
certainly  true,  that  such  had  never  been  the  custom.  "What 
induced  them  to  adopt  this  course,  we  do  not  know. 

31^,  Tuesday.  We  went  in  company  with  the  old  woman 
where  we  lodged,  to  Mayor  Rombouts,  at  the  appointed 
time.  "When  we  arrived,  there  was  a  magistrate's  officer 
or  two  in  attendance,  and  some  came  in  while  we  were 
there.  Addressing  us,  he  said :  "  Friends,  we  have  sum- 
moned you  here,  not  because  we  have  any  thing  to  say  to 
you,  or  have  any  debt  to  claim,  or  because  any  one  has 
sought  of  us  to  demand  of  you  any  such  thing,  or  to  sum- 
mon you."  The  reason,  he  said,  was  because  we  had  been 
so  long  in  the  country  without  having  reported  our  names, 
who  we  were,  our  profession,  trade  or  business,  condition 
and  purpose.  We  answered,  we  would  by  no  means  have 
been  in  default,  if  there  were  any  law  or  order  which 
required  us  to  do  so,  or  if  we  had  been  informed  that  it 
was  customary,  or  had  ever  been  done ;  and  it,  therefore, 
surprised  us  that  they  complained  and  charged  us  with 
neglect  of  duty,  or  found  fault  with  us,  or  wished  to  con- 
vict us  of  a  matter  where  there  was  no  law,  obligation, 
custom,  or  even  precedent ;  that  this  treatment  struck  us 
as  very  strange,  since  there  were  several  foreigners  who 
had  come  over  in  the  ship  with  us,  from  whom  they  had 
not  required  what  they  required  of  us.  "  You  know  well," 
he  said,  "  it  is  the  custom  in  Europe."    We  replied,  "  it  was 


1  Francis  Rombouts  was  mayor  of  New  York  in  1679-80.  A  brief  sketch 
of  his  life  is  contained  in  the  New  York  Manual  for  1864,  page  609. 


260 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


not  so  in  any  of  the  United  Provinces  or  any  other  places 
except  upon  the  frontiers."  "  Well,"  he  continued,  "  we 
are  no  frontier,  hut  a  capital,  and  it  must  and  shall  he  so 
in  the  future."  lie  then  inquired  after  our  names,  trade  or 
profession,  and  place  of  residence  in  Fatherland,  all  of 
whiclrwe  told  him,  namely,  that  my  comrade  was  a  theo- 
logian, and  had  studied  at  Leyden  ;  that  I  was  a  wine- 
racker,1  and  that  we  both  lived  near  Leeuwarden,  in  Fries- 
land.  He  asked  further  what  we  came  there  to  do,  or  what 
was  our  purpose  or  intention.  "We  told  him  it  was  to 
look  at  the  country.  "How,  look  at  the  country?"  he 
asked :  "  some  come  here  to  look  at  the  cities,  others  at  the 
fortifications;  some  to  learn  the  mode  of  government  and 
policy,  others  the  manner  of  regulating  the  militia;  others 
again  to  learn  the  climate,  and  times,  and  seasons,  and  you 
run  and  travel  through  the  country  without  giving  us  any 
notice  why."  We  replied,  we  had  come  here  and  traveled 
through  the  country  in  order  to  make  ourselves  acquainted 
generally  with  the  nature  and  fertility  of  the  soil,  as  was 
convenient,  or  we  might  perhaps  go  around  mornings  and 
evenings.  He  inquired  further  of  us  how  we  wished  to  be 
regarded  in  the  future,  whether  as  citizens  or  foreigners. 
We  answered,  as  foreigners.  "Well  then,"  he  proceeded. 
"  You  are  forbidden  to  carry  on  trade,  particularly  with 
the  inhabitants,  that  is,  to  sell  any  thing  to  private  persons, 
but  you  may  dispose  of  it  to  merchants  who  sell  to  private 
individuals."     He  said  the  privilege,  or  burgher  right 

cost  beavers,  each  beaver  reckoned  at  five  guilders 

in  Holland  money,  or  twenty-five  guilders  in  zeewan,  and 
was  prohibited  to  all  persons  who  reside  out  of  the  city ;  and 
as  we  resided  out  of  the  city,  we  must  be  treated  like 
others.  We  replied  to  this,  we  would  cheerfully  obey  the 
law.     We  were  also  told  to  travel  nowhere,  particularly 


1  One  who  put  up  wine  in  casks. 


VISIT  TO  NYACK.  REMEMBRANCES. 


261 


to  Albany,  without  special  permission  from  the  governor, 
which  we  said  we  would  ask  from  his  Excellent,  and 
thereupon  ,we  left. 

On  arriving  at  our  house,  we  found  there  Simon  of 
Gouanes,  who  had  brought  a  boat  load  of  wood,  and  with 
whom  my  companion  went  to  Long  Island,  but  I  remained 
at  home ;  the  Lord  exercising  me  somewhat,  I  was  rather 
quiet.  We  had  been  to  the  strand  several  days,  watching 
for  Claes,  the  ferryman,  or  some  other  opportunity  to  cross 
over  to  Gemoenepaen,  but  we  found  none ;  and  as  there  was 
some  difficulty  between  this  governor,  and  the  governor  of 
New  Jersey,  we  were  contented  to  wait  and  follow  the 
providence  of  the  Lord  therein,  although  our  purpose  in 
going  over  was  not  on  that  account. 

February  1st,  Wednesday.  Gerrit,  the  son-in-law  of  our 
host,  having  been  a  long  time  upon  Long  Island,  came 
over  with  a  cask  of  tobacco,  which  he  intended  to  ship  in 
the  ship  Beaver ;  he  repacked  it,  and  I  helped  him  cooper 
it.  He  said  he  had  another  one  to  bring  over  from  the  island, 
and  then  he  would  take  Simon's  boat  and  go  with  us  to 
Ackquakenon.  After  he  had  finished  packing  this  one,  the 
boat  going  to  Gouanes  after  wood,  I  left  along  with  him 
on  the 

3d,  Friday,  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning.  I  heard 
that  my  companion  had  gone  from  the  Bay  to  Najack, 
where  I  proposed  to  follow  him,  because  we  might  not 
be  able  to  obtain  these  people  who,  in  order  to  go  to  Ack- 
queqenon,  resolve  upon  it  half  a  year  beforehand,  for  when 
one  can  go,  the  other  cannot,  and  we  were  not  able  to 
wait.  Simon  told  us  now  he  could  not  accompany  us. 
The  other  person  was  uncertain,  and  Gerrit  was  not  any 
more  sure.  I  arrived  at  Najack  in  the  evening,  and  my 
comrade  also  arrived  there  from  the  bay,  in  company  with 
Jaques.  He  concluded  to  return  to  the  city  with  me  in 
the  morning. 


262 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


4th,  Saturday.  Our  resolution  was  defeated.  We  started 
on  the  road,  but  were  compelled  to  return,  as  it  had  rained 
hard  the  whole  night,  and  continued  to  do  so  all  day. 

bth,  Sunday.  It  snowed  all  night  and  until  about  nine 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  when  it  cleared  up,  and  we  set  out 
on  our  journey.  We  reached  the  ferry  at  one  o'clock, 
where  we  waited  three  hours  to  be  taken  over  by  the  lame 
brother-in-law  of  Jan,  the  baker,  or  Jan  Theunissen. 

6th,  Monday  evening.  M.  de  la  Grange  came  to  call  upon 
us,  being  somewhat  under  concern  of  mind,  and  giving  us 
some  hope.  His  wife,  being  touched  also,  has  been  to 
see  us  several  times;  and  certainly  the  Lord  will  comfort 
us  about  his  people.  I  will  take  some  other  occasion  to 
speak  more  particularly  in  relation  to  this  matter,  if 
the  Lord  continue  it.  Meanwhile,  I  had  translated  the 
Verheffinge  des  Gestes  tot  God,  (Lifting  up  the  Soul  to  God) 
into  Dutch,  for  Elizabeth  Rodenburgh,  wife  of  Ephraim 
Hermans,  in  order  to  send  her  a  token  of  gratitude  for  the 
acts  of  kindness  enjoyed  at  her  house,  as  she  had  evinced 
a  great  inclination  for  it,  and  relished  it  much,  when  some- 
times we  read  portions  of  it  to  her  while  we  were  there. 
I  also  began  a  translation  of  the  last  exercise  of  the  Holy 
Decades.  Nothing  further  occurred  worthy  of  mention, 
except  that  the  snow,  frost,  rain  and  inclement  weather 
prevented  us  from  going  to  Ackqueguenon. 

11th,  Sunday}  We  received  letters  from  the  South  river, 
from  Mr.  Ephraim  Hermans,  and  Heer  Jolian  Moll,  which 
consoled  us  as  to  their  state,  and  gave  us  some  hope  at  least 
of  great  progress,  as  appears  by  the  same.  We  answered 
them,  and  dispatched  our  letters  by  the  same  person  who 
brought  theirs,  and  who  was  to  return  on  the 

1Tbe  dates  of  the  journal  after  Friday  the  26  of  January,  appear  to  have 
fallen  into  a  little  confusion,  a  day  or  two  having  been  dropped,  probably, 
in  consequence  of  daily  notes  being  sometimes  omitted  for  lack  of  incident. 
The  same  difficulty  occurs  the  last  of  March. 


DEPARTURE  FOR  AQUAKENONK.  263 


14th,  Wednesday,  and  with  whom  we  sent  the  translation  of 
the  Verhcffingedes  Gestes  with  a  small  package  of  knitted  baby- 
clothes.  The  ship  Beaver  came  out  of  Deutel  bay,  and  was 
up  for  Europe  and  Holland  immediately.   Therefore,  on  the 

15th,  Thursday,  we  began  writing  to  our  friends  in  the 
Fatherland.  The  winter  gradually  passing  away,  the 
weather  was  during  the  last  of  February,  and  first  of 
March,  as  pleasant  as  if  it  were  the  month  of  May.  I 
finished  the  translation  of  the  Decades. 

March  2d,  Saturday.  M.  de  la  Grange  has  chartered  a 
yacht  to  go  to  the  South  river,  with  a  lot  of  merchandise, 
and  to  take  to  his  land  there  the  boor,  whom  he  had 
brought  for  that  purpose  from  the  Fatherland.  This  person 
came  from  Sluis,1  and  had  done  nothing  here  as  yet,  be- 
cause de  la  Grange  had  not  gone  to  Tinaconcq,  as  he  had 
first  intended.  He  designed  to  take  him  now  to  the  land 
he  had  bought  on  Christina  kil,  and  have  it  put  in  order. 
He  had  obtained  exemption  from  tax  on  his  merchandise, 
and  was  the  first  one  who  had  enjoyed  this  advantage,  that 
is,  from  the  second  tax,  he  having  paid  the  first  tax  when 
the  goods  were  unladen  here.  All  merchandise  pays  a 
second  tax  when  it  is  sent  to  the  South  river,  or  Albany. 
I  gave  him  Les  Paroles  de  Salut  for  Seer  Johan  Moll,  who 
had  urgently  requested  us  to  send  him  some  religious  book 
or  other,  writing  to  him  what  was  necessary  on  the  subject. 

"We  had  waited  till  this  time  to  go  to  Ackquekanon,  either 
on  account  of  the  weather,  or  because  it  was  not  convenient 
for  the  persons  on  Long  Island.  We  finally  determined 
to  go  with  Gerrit  who  could  speak  very  good  Indian,  and 
who  had  sent  word  to  us  from  Long  Island,  that  we  must 
be  at  Simon's  house  in  Gouanes,  for  that  purpose  on  Sun- 
day morning  in  order  to  go  in  his  boat.  We  accordingly 
prepared  ourselves. 


1  In  Zeeland. 


264 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


3d,  Sunday.  We  both  went  over  to  Long  Island,  at  eight 
o'clock  ;  and  as  we  were  entering  the  ferry  boat,  Madame 
de  la  Grange  came  aboard  with  her  nephew,  Kasparus 
Beindcrman,  who,  when  they  had  landed,  took  a  wagon,  and 
rode  on  to  tbe  bay.  We  went  through  Iireukelen  to  Gou- 
anes,  where  we  arrived  about  ten  o'clock,  and  found  Gerrit 
was  not  yet  there.  Several  families  of  Indians  had  erected 
their  huts  upon  the  beach,  whereby  Simon's  house  was 
very  accessible.  This  was  done  with  the  consent  of  his 
wife,  with  whom  he  had  left  tbe  profit  from  the  Indians. 
While  we  were  engaged  in  obtaining  some  oysters,  Gerrit 
with  Jaques  and  his  son  and  daughter  rode  up  in  a  wagon. 
Jaques  had  come  for  the  purpose  of  attending  to  a  sick 
horse  of  Simon,  which  had  a  certain  disease,  they  call 
here  the  staggers,  to  which  their  horses  are  subject,  and 
with  which  the  creatures  whether  going  or  standing  con- 
stantly stagger,  and  often  fall ;  this  increasing  they  fall 
down  at  last,  and  so  continue  till  they  die.  It  is  cured 
sometimes  by  cutting  the  tip  end  of  the  tail,  and  letting 
the  blood  drip  out;  then  opening  a  vein,  giving  the  animal 
a  warm  drink  and  making  a  puncture  in  the  forehead, 
from  which  a  large  quantity  of  matter  runs  out.  The 
boat  being  leaky,  and  a  right  calculation  not  having  been 
made  as  to  the  tide,  we  remained  here  to-day,  intending  to 
leave  early  in  the  morning,  and,  therefore,  made  every 
preparation.  We  had  expected  another  person  to  go  with 
us,  but  there  were  only  us  three. 

4th,  Monday.  We  left  Gouanes  bay  at  high  water,  about 
eight  o'clock,  with  a  southerly  wind,  but  calm,  and  rowed 
with  the  current  to  Gheele  hocck  (Yellow  hook),  where  we 
made  sail,  and  crossed  the  bay  to  Achter  kol,  where  we 
knew  there  were  some  Indians  lying  behind  Constable's 
hook.  We  sailed  there  in  order  to  request  one  of  them, 
named  Hans,  to  go  with  us  as  a  guide.  Hans  had  long 
frequented  among  the  Dutch,  and  spoke  the  Dutch  lan- 


THE  PASSAIC.  NEWARK. 


265 


guage  tolerable  well.  He  was  a  great  nietap,  that  is,  friend 
of  Gerrit.  He  refused  at  first  to  accompany  us,  saying  he 
had  just  come  from  there ;  and  when  we  urged  it  upon 
him,  he  said,  "  would  you  Christians  do  as  much  for  us 
Indians  ?  If  you  had  just  been  there  and  had  come 
back  tired  and  weary,  and  some  Indians  should  come 
and  ask  you  in  the  midst  of  your  children,  in  your 
own  houses,  while  busied  with  your  occupation,  would  you 
be  ready  immediately  to  go  back  with  them  ?  "  We  an- 
swered yes,  upon  proper  terms.  He  said,  "I  do 'not 
think  so,  I  know  well  what  you  would  do."  We  told 
him,  we  would  fully  satisfy  him.  He  wished  to  make  a 
bargain  beforehand,  which  Ave  did  not,  as  we  wanted  to 
see  whether  he  would  earn  any  thing.  He  allowed  him- 
self to  be  persuaded ;  "  but,"  he  said,  "  I  will  lose  so  much 
time  in  making  zeewant,"  which  is  their  money  and  con- 
sists only  of  little  beads.1  "  I  am  very  cold  ;  you  are  all 
well  clothed  and  do  not  feel  the  cold ;  I  am  an  old  man 
(as  he  was),  and  have  nothing  but  a  little  worn  out  blanket 
for  my  naked  body."  We  must  give  him  a  blanket  and 
then  he  would  be  willing  to  go  with  us.  We  said  we  had 
none  with  us.  "  Well,"  he  replied,  "  I  do  not  ask  you  to 
give  it  to  me  now,  but  when  I  come  to  the  city."  We 
told  him  he  should  be  satisfied,  and  have  no  cause  of  com- 
plaint. After  he  had  fitted  himself  out  a  little  he  went 
with  us.  We  had  some  of  the  flood  tide  left;  but  before 
we  reached  Schutters  island  the  wind  changed,  and  it  was 
quite  calm.  We,  therefore,  struck  our  sails  and  went  to 
rowing  in  order  to  strike  the  cuiTent.  By  scraping  along 
we  reached  the  Slangcnbergh,  on  the  west  point  of  the  Noord 

1  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  mention  that  these  beads  were  made  out  of  clam 
shells,  those  made  from  the  purple  part  of  the  shell  being  more  valuable 
than  those  made  from  the  white.  At  the  time  of  the  journal  three  purple, 
or  six  white  pairs  of  wampum  or  zeewan,  passed  for  a  stuiver  or  penny, 
by  express  regulation  of  the  governor. 

34 


266 


TIIE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


West  M1  where  there  is  a  very  large  piece  of  salt  meadow, 
and  where  the  tide  ran  so  strong  against  us  we  could  not 
proceed  any  farther.  We,  therefore,  lay  to  and  went 
ashore,  in  order  to  walk  about  a  little.  This  was  the 
largest,  cleanest  and  most  level  piece  of  salt  meadow  that  we 
had  observed  anywhere.  After  having  been  an  hour  or  a 
little  more  on  shore,  a  light  breeze  sprung  up  out  of  the 
east,  when  we  took  the  boat  again  and  putting  off,  came  to 
Mil/art,  an  Knglish  village,  lying  upon  high  land  on  the 
south  side  of  the  creek,  having  left  Santfort  on  the  right 
hand,  which  is  an  English  village  also,  lying  on  the  west 
side  of  llackingsackse  kit  We  then  came  to  high  land ; 
and  the  wind  falling,  we  rowed  up  against  the  ebb  tide  to 
a  house  on  the  northeast  side  belonging  to  one  Captain 
Berry,  where  it  being  evening  and  commencing  to  rain, 
we  stopped,  made  the  boat  fast,  and  took  every  thing  out 
of  her.2    We  entered  the  house  which  was  large  enough, 


1  The  Passaic. 

2  The  following  description  of  this  part  of  New  Jersey,  appeared  in  1685, 
in  a  work  published  under  the  sanction  of  the  proprietors  of  East  Jersey, 
with  the  title  of  The  model  of  the  government  of  the  province  of  Eaist  New 
Jersey,  in  America. 

"  Newark  alias  Milford,  is  a  town  distant  to  the  northward,  over  land 
from  Elizabethtown,  about  6  or  7  miles.  It  lies  on  a  river  called  Newark 
river,  which  emptieth  itself  into  the  bay  about  4  or  5  miles  down.  Oppo- 
site to  the  town,  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  lyeth  a  great  tract  of  land 
belonging  to  Mr.  Kingsland  and  Captain  Sandford,  the  quit  rents  whereof 
are  purchased.  There  is  another  tract  of  land  taken  up  higher  on  the 
river  by  Captain  Berry,  who  hath  disposed  of  a  part  of  it.  There 
are  several  plantations  settled  there.  Its  said  he  hath  about  10,000, 
acres  there ;  further  up  the  water  is  an  island  of  about  1,000  acres 
belonging  to  Mr.  Christopher  Hoogland,  of  Newark  ;  if  it  be  not  an  island 
it  is  tyed  by  a  very  narrow  slip  of  land  to  the  continent.  Above  that  is  a 
greater  tract  of  land,  above  8  or  9,000  acres  purchased  by  lease  of  the 
governor  according  to  the  concessions  by  Captain  Jacques  Castelayne, 
and  partners  who  have  begun  some  settlement." —  Whitehead's  East  Jersey 
under  the  Proprietors,  274. 

The  first  settlements  at  Newark  were  made  in  1666,  by  immigrants  from 


THE  INDIANS'  FIRST  CAUSE. 


267 


but  poorly  furnished.  We  found  nobody  there  except  a 
negro  who  could  speak  nothing  but  a  little  broken  French. 
We  warmed  ourselves,  and  eat  from  what  we  had  brought 
with  us,  Hans,  the  Indian,  sharing  with  us.  In  the  mean- 
while, we  engaged  in  conversation  with  him,  and  he  told 
us  certain  things  which  we  had  never  heard  any  Indian 
or  European  mention,  the  opinion  of  the  Indians  in  re- 
lation to  the  Godhead,  the  creation,  and  the  preservation 
and  government  of  all  things. 

"We  acknowledge,  he  said,  a  supreme  first  power,  some 
cause  of  all  things,  which  is  known  by  all  the  Indians  of 
North  America,  hereabouts,  whether  Mahatans,  Sinnekes, 
Maquaas,  Minquaas,  southern  or  northern  Indians,  not  only 
by  the  name  of  Sackamacher  or  Sachamor  (which  the  Dutch 
for  the  sake  of  convenience  will  pervert  into  Sackemacher), 
that  is  to  say,  lord,  captain  or  chief,  which  all  persons  bear 
who  have  any  power  or  authority  among  them,  especially 
any  government  or  rule  over  other  persons  and  affairs, 
and  that  name,  it  appeared  to  him,  was  used  by  others 
to  express  God,  more  than  by  themselves;  but  the  true 
name  by  which  they  call  this  Supreme  Being,  the  first 


Milford,  Guilford,  and  Branford  in  Connecticut,  whence  its  name  of  Mil. 
ford,  which  seems  to  have  been  applied  to  it  for  several  years,  although  it 
bore  the  name  of  Newark,  in  the  town  records,  quite  from  the  first. — Re- 
cords of  the  Town  of  Newark,  4, 10. 

Captain  William  Sandford,  received  his  grant  July  4, 1668,  of  all  the 
lands  between  the  Hackingsack  and  Passaic  rivers  lying  south  of  a  line 
drawn  from  one  river  to  the  other,  seven  miles  north  of  their  intersection. 
This  gentleman  distinguished  himself  by  declining  any  public  office.  His 
tract  of  land  was  afterwards  called  New  Barbadoes. — East  Jersey  under 
the  Proprietors,  47-8, 187-8. 

Captain  John  Berry  acquired  his  lands  in  June,  1669. 1  They  adjoined 
Sandford's,  and  extended  north  six  miles  into  the  country. — Ibid,  48. 

Jacques  Castelayne,  as  the  reader  has  learned,  was  the  Long  Island 
settler,  Jaques  Cortelyou.  The  error  in  his  name  was  continued  by  Smith 
in  his  History  of  New  Jersey,  as  before  noted,  and  no  doubt  from  the  au- 
thority above  cited. 


268  THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


and  great  beginning  of  all  things,  was  Kickeron  or  Kickerom, 
who  is  the  origin  of  all,  who  has  not  only  once  produced 
or  made  all  things,  hut  produces  every  day.  All  that  we 
see  daily  that  is  good,  is  from  him;  and  everything  he 
makes  and  does  is  good.  He  governs  all  things,  and  no- 
thing is  done  without  his  aid  and  direction.  "  And,"  he 
continued,  "  I,  who  am  a  captain  and  Sakemaker  among  the 
Indians,  and  also  a  medicine-man  (as  was  all  true),  and 
have  performed  many  good  cures  among  them,  experience 
every  day  that  all  medicines  do  not  cure,  if  it  do  not  please 
him  to  cause  them  to  work ;  that  he  will  cure  one  and  not 
another  thereby;  that  sickness  is  bad,  but  he  sends  it  upon 
whom  he  pleases,  because  those  upon  whom  he  visits  it 
are  bad ;  but  we  did  not  have  so  much  sickness  and  death 
before,  the  Christians  came  into  the  country,  who  have 
taught  the  people  debauchery  and  excess;  they  are,  there- 
fore, much  more  miserable  than  they  were  before.  The 
devil  who  is  wicked,  instigates  and  urges  them  on,  to  all 
kinds  of  evil,  drunkenness  and  excess,  to  fighting  and  war, 
and  to  strife  and  violence  amongst  themselves,  by  which 
many  men  are  wounded  and  killed.  He  thus  does  all 
kind  of  evil  to  them."  I  told  him  I  had  conversed  with 
Jasper  or  Tantaqw,  another  old  Indian,  on  the  subject,  from 
whence  all  things  had  come,  and  he  had  told  me  they  came 
from  a  tortoise ;  that  this  tortoise  had  brought  forth  the 
world,  or  that  all  things  had  come  from  it ;  that  from  the 
middle  of  the  tortoise  there  had  sprung  up  a  tree,  upon 
whose  branches  men.  had  grown.  That  was  true,  he 
replied,  but  Kickeron  made  the  tortoise,  and  the  tortoise  had 
a  power  and  a  nature  to  produce  all  things,  such  as  earth, 
trees,  and  the  like,  which  God  wished  through  it  to  pro- 
duce, or  have  produced. 

It  was  now  time  to  see  if  we  could  not  take  some  rest  in 
a  place  not  very  well  protected  against  the  cold,  and  where 
there  was  nothing  to  lie  upon  except  the  naked  floor ;  but 


AQUAKENONK.   PASSAIC  FALLS.  269 


the  negro  wishing  to  favor  my  comrade  and  myself,  showed 
us  a  bunk  (koy),  in  which  there  was  nothing  save  a  few 
leaves  of  maize,  and  those  thin  enough.  We  lay  down 
there,  but  suffered  greatly  from  the  cold.  We  slept  very 
little,  and  lay  shivering  all  night,  and  the  slave  sometimes 
shaking  us  and  waking  us  up.  We  were  so  stiff  we  could 
not  move ;  but  the  nigbt  passed  on  as  well  as  it  could,  and 
we  rose  early.  It  had  rained,  and  we  started  at  daylight  to 
the  boat,  and  rowed  into  the  stream.  Gerrit  grumbled 
very  much.  He  was  a  coarse,  ignorant  man,  and  had  not 
well  calculated  the  tide.  We  went  ashore  about  eight  or  half- 
past  eight  to  breakfast,  and  had  great  difficulty  in  making 
a  fire,  for  all  the  brush  was  wet  through  with  the  rain. 
We  were  fortunate  enough,  however,  at  last,  to  succeed. 
We  took  a  walk  for  a  short  distance  into  the  woods,  which 
were  not  the  poorest.  In  the  meanwhile,  the  ebb  had  run 
out ;  the  water  was  calm,  and  taking  a  little  of  the  flood, 
we  rowed  on  until  we  arrived  at  Ackquekenon,  about  one 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  Ackquekenon  is  a  tract  of  land 
of  about  twelve  thousand  morgen,  which  Jaques  of  Najack, 
with  seven  or  eight  associates,  had  purchased  from  the 
Indians,  the  deed  of  which  we  have  seen,  and  the  entire  price 
of  which  amounted  to  one  hundred  or  one  hundred  and  fifty 
guilders  in  Holland  money,  at  the  most.  It  is  a  fine  piece 
of  land,  the  best  tract  of  woodland  that  we  have  seen  except 
one  at  the  south.  It  is  not  very  abundant  in  wood,  but  it  has 
enough  for  building  purposes  and  fuel.  On  one  side  of  it 
is  the  Northwest  kil,  which  is  navigable  by  large  boats  and 
yachts  thus  far,  but  not  beyond.  On  the  other  side,  there 
is  a  small  creek  by  which  it  is  almost  entirely  surrounded, 
affording  water  sufficient,  both  summer  and  winter,  to  drive 
several  mills. 

When  we  reached  here,  we  took  our  provisions  and 
whatever  was  loose  out  of  the  boat  into  a  hut  of  the 
Indians,  of  whom  there  is  only  one  family  on  this  whole 


270 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


tract.  We  eat  our  dinner  by  their  fire,  and  determined  to 
go  in  the  afternoon  to  the  falls,  although  it  had  already 
began  to  rain.  "We  started  oft'  accordingly  under  the 
guidance  of  Hans,  the  Indian.  The  rain  gradually 
increased,  with  snow,  and  did  not  hold  up  the  whole  day. 
After  we  had  traveled  good  three  hours  over  high  hills,  we 
came  to  a  high  rocky  one,  where  we  could  hear  the  noise 
of  the  water,  and  clambering  up  to  the  top,  saw  the  falls 
below  us,  a  sight  to  be  seen  in  order  to  observe  the  power 
and  wonder  of  God.  Behind  this  hill  the  land  is  much 
higher  than  on  the  other  side,  and  continues  so  as  far  as  is 
known.  A  kil  or  river  runs  through  this  high  land 
between  the  hills,  formed  by  several  branches  coming  down 
from  still  higher  land.  This  river,  running  along  the  valley 
to  seek  the  sea,  comes  to  this  hill  where  it  runs  over  a  large 
blue  rock,  which  is  broken  in  two,  obliquely  with  the  river. 
One  part  is  dry,  which  is  the  hill  before  mentioned;  the 
other  is,  where  the  river,  running  over  a  crevice  or  fissure 
between  both,  appears  to  be  eight  or  ten  feet  wide,  having 
on  either  side  smooth  precipices  like  walls,  but  some  parts 
broken  between  them.  The  river  finding  this  chasm  pours 
all  its  water  into  it  headlong  from  a  height,  according  to 
guess,  of  about  eighty  feet;  and  all  this  pouring  water 
must  break  upon  the  undermost  piece  of  stone  lying  in  the 
crevice,  which  causes  a  great  roaring  and  foaming,  so  that 
persons  standing  there  side  by  side,  have  to  call  out  loud 
before  they  can  understand  each  other.  By  reason  of  the 
breaking  of  the  water,  and  the  wind  which  the  falling 
water  carries  with  it,  there  is  constantly  spray  ascending 
bike  smoke,  which  scatters  itself  like  rain.  In  this  spray, 
when  the  sun  shines,  the  figure  of  a  rainbow  is  constantly 
to  be  seen  trembling  and  shaking,  and  even  appearing  to 
move  the  rock.  The  water  in  this  fissure  runs  out  on  the 
south ;  and  there  at  the  end  of  the  rock  or  point,  it  finds 
a  basin,  which  is  the  beginning  of  the  lower  kil.  This 


LODGING  IN  A  WIGWAM. 


271 


point,  is,  I  judge,  about  one  hundred  feet  above  the  water, 
and  is  steep  like  an  upright  wall.  When  the  fish  come  up 
the  river,  this  basin  is  so  full  of  all  kinds  of  them,  that 
you  can  catch  them  with  your  hands,  because  they  are 
stopped  there,  and  collect  together,  refreshing  themselves, 
and  sporting  in  and  under  the  falling  fresh  water,  which 
brings  with  it  from  above,  bushes,  green  leaves,  earth  and 
mire,  in  which  they  find  food.  The  water  runs  hence  east 
and  northeast  to  Ackquekenon.  The  Indians  come  up  this 
river  in  canoes  to  fish,  because  it  is  one  of  the  richest  fish- 
eries they  have ;  but  the  river  is  not  navigable  by  larger 
boats,  though  in  case  the  country  were  settled,  the  naviga- 
tion could  be  improved.  The  falls  lie  among  high  hills, 
especially  on  the  south,  so  that  the  sun  does  not  penetrate 
there  well  except  in  summer.  We  found  heavy  ice  there 
at  this  time,  although  it  had  all  thawed  away  below. 
When  I  saw  this  ice  at  a  distance,  I  supposed  it  was  the 
foam.  I  took  a  sketch  as  well  as  I  could,  very  hastily, 
for  we  had  no  time,  and  it  rained  and  snowed  very 
much.  What  I  did,  is  not  very  happily  done.  I  regret  I 
could  not  crayon  it,  for  it  is  worth  being  portrayed.  Night 
coming  on,  we  had  to  leave.  We  were  very  wet  and  cold, 
especially  in  the  feet.  It  was  dark,  and  slippery  walking 
on  such  precipices,  and  crossing  little  streams.  Tired 
and  weary,  wet  and  dirty,  we  reached  the  place  where  we 
had  started  from,  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and 
went  into  the  hu  t  of  the  Indians,  having  to-day  rowed  con- 
stantly from  early  dawn  until  one  or  two  o'clock,  and  then 
walked,  through  heavy  weather,  twenty-four  to  twenty- 
eight  miles. 

We  endeavored  to  warm  and  dry  ourselves  in  this  cabin 
as  best  we  could.  We  could  not  stand  up  on  account  of 
the  smoke,  and  there  were  no  means  of  sitting  down  unless 
flat  on  the  ground,  which  was  very  bad  for  us,  on  account 
of  our  being  so  wet,  but  we  did  the  best  we  could.  We 


272  THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


took  our  supper,  and  distributed  some  of  our  bread  among 
the  Indians,  with  which  they  were  as  much  pleased  as 
children  with  sweet  cake.  We  gave  each  man  four  fish- 
hooks, and  the  women  and  children  each  two.  We  also 
gave  them  two  small  trumpets,  and  then  they  were  great 
nitaps  or  friends.  We  had  to  lie  down  there,  and  at  first, 
as  long  as  it  was  warm,  it  went  very  well ;  but  the  fire 
being  almost  burned  out,  and  the  hut  rather  airy,  and  the 
wind  being  no  longer  kept  out  by  tbe  heat  in  the  opening, 
through  which  the  smoke  escaped,  we  became  stiff  in  the 
knees,  so  that  I  could  not,  through  weariness  and  cold, 
move  mine  without  great  pain  and  difficulty.  The  longed- 
for  day  came,  and  we  went  out  in  the  snow  to  look  through 
the  woods,  and  along  the  little  stream,  to  see  whether  it 
would  be  worth  the  trouble  to  erect  a  saw-mill  there  for 
the  purpose  of  sawing  timber  for  sale,  as  Jaques  had  sup- 
posed. But  although  we  found  the  stream  suitable  for 
mills,  we  did  not  discover  proper  wood  sufficient  for 
the  purpose.  The  soil  seemed  to  promise  good,  and  the 
place  is  as  well  situated  as  it  can  be,  to  make  a  village  or 
city.  The  land  on  both  sides  of  the  Northwest  kil  is  all 
taken  up,  and  the  prospect  is  that  the  whole  region  will 
soon  be  inhabited.  It  is  already  taken  up  on  the  south 
side  as  high  up  as  the  falls.  Eating  our  breakfast  about 
eight  o'clock,  we  went  on  board  of  the  boat,  it  being  now 
the 

6th,  Wednesday.  We  set  off  with  a  westerly  wind,  though 
light  and  gusty.  If  the  wind  in  this  river  do  not  come 
straight  from  behind,  you  cannot  derive  much  benefit  from 
it,  in  consequence  of  the  land  on  both  sides  of  it  being  so 
high,  and  the  bay  so  winding.  The  river  is  the  pleasantest 
we  have  yet  seen.  It  is  gratifying  to  look  upon  the  con- 
tinually changing  views  which  present  themselves  in  going 
either  up  or  down,  with  its  evergreens  of  pine  and  cedar, 
and  other  species,  the  names  of  which  I  do  not  know,  and 


INDIAN  DEBAUCH  AT  GOUANES. 


273 


its  clean  bottom  and  clear  fresh  water.  We  rowed  and 
sailed  as  well  as  we  could,  until  the  flood  tide  stopped  us, 
when  we  went  ashore  to  eat  our  dinner,  and  make  a  good 
fire  to  warm  ourselves.  When  the  ebb  began  to  make,  we 
proceeded  on  our  way.  Our  poor  Indian  who  did  nothing 
in  the  boat,  sat  all  the  time  benumbed  with  cold  in  his 
poor  little  blanket.  But  as  the  day  advanced,  it  was  better. 
The  tide  serving  us,  and  the  wind  being  stronger  as  we 
came  below  the  high  land,  we  reached  Adder  kol  before 
evening,  and  set  the  Indian  ashore  at  his  hut,  who  told  us 
he  would  come  and  see  us  on  Monday.  It  was  calm,  with 
the  wind  more  and  more  favorable,  and  we  crossed  over 
the  bay,  and  arrived  at  Gouanes  bay  about  eight  o'clock. 

I  had  asked  Hans,  our  Indian,  what  Christians  they, 
the  Indians,  had  first  seen  in  these  parts.  He  answered 
the  first  were  Spaniards  or  Portuguese,  from  whom  they 
obtained  the  maize  or  Spanish  or  Turkish  wheat,  but  they 
did  not  remain  here  long.  Afterwards  the  Dutch  came 
into  the  South  river  and  here,  on  Noten  island,1  a  small 
island  lying  directly  opposite  the  fort  at  New  York,  and  to 
Fort  Orange  or  Albany,  and  after  them  the  English  came 
for  the  first,  who,  nevertheless,  always  disputed  the  first 
possession.  But  since  the  country  has  been  taken  several 
times  by  the  one  and  the  other,  the  dispute  is  ended  in 
regard  to  the  right  of  ownership,  as  it  is  now  a  matter  of 
conquest. 

When  we  arrived  at  Gouanes,  we  heard  a  great  noise, 
shouting  and  singing  in  the  huts  of  the  Indians,  who  as 
we  mentioned  before,  were  living  there.  They  were  all 
lustily  drunk,  raving,  striking,  shouting,  jumping,  fighting 
each  other,  and  foaming  at  the  mouth  like  raging  wild 
beasts.  Some  who  did  not  participate  with  them,  had  fled 
with  their  wives  and  children  to  Simon's  house,  where  the 
drunken  brutes  followed,  bawling  in  the  house  and  before 

1  Governor's  island. 

35 


274 


THE  HUDSON  AND  JTS  AFFLUENTS. 


the  door,  which  we  finally  closed.  And  this  was  caused  hy 
Christians.  It  makes  me  blush  to  call  hy  that  holy  name 
those  who  live  ten  times  worse  than  these  most  barbarous 
Indians  and  heathen,  not  only  in  the  eyes  of  those  who 
can  discriminate,  but  according  to  the  testimony  of  these 
poor  Indians  themselves.  What  do  I  say,  the  testimony  of 
the  Indians !  Yes,  I  have  not  conversed  with  an  European 
or  a  native  born,  the  most  godless  and  the  best,  who  has 
not  fully  and  roundly  acknowledged  it,  but  they  have  not 
acknowledged  it  salutarily,  and  much  less  desisted,  disre- 
garding all  convictions  external  and  internal,  notwithstand- 
ing all  the  injury  which  springs  therefrom,  not  only  among 
the  Indians,  but  others,  as  we  will  show  in  its  proper  place. 
How  will  they  escape  the  terrible  judgment  of  God  ;  how 
evade  the  wrath  and  anger  of  the  Lord  and  King,  Jesus, 
whom  they  have  so  dishonored  and  defamed,  and  caused 
to  be  defamed  among  the  heathen  ?  Just  judgment  is  their 
damnation.  But  I  must  restrain  myself,  giving  God  all 
judgment  and  wrath,  and  keeping  only  what  he  causes  us 
to  feel  therefor.  Such  are  the  fruits  of  the  cursed  cupidity 
of  those  who  call  themselves  Christians  for  the  very  little 
that  these  poor  naked  people  have.  Simon  and  his  wife 
also  do  their  best  in  the  same  way,  although  we  spoke  to 
them  severely  on  the  subject.  They  brought  forward  this 
excuse,  that  if  they  did  not  do  it,  others  would,  and  then 
they  would  have  the  trouble  and  others  the  profit ;  but  if 
they  must  have  the  trouble,  they  ought  to  have  the  profit, 
and  so  they  all  said,  and  for  the  most  part  falsely,  for  they 
all  solicit  the  Indians  as  much  as  they  can,  and  after  begging 
their  money  from  them,  compel  them  to  leave  their  blankets, 
leggings,  and  coverings  of  their  bodies  in  pawn,  yes,  their 
guns  and  hatchets,  the  very  instruments  by  which  they 
obtain  their  subsistence.  This  subject  is  so  painful  and 
so  abominable,  that  I  will  forbear  saying  any  thing  more 
for  the  present. 


OPTICS.    THE  RIVER  OPEN. 


275 


These  Indians  had  canticoycd  (geJdntekayt)  there  to-day,  that 
is,  conjured  the  devil,  and  liberated  a  woman  among  them, 
who  was  possessed  by  him,  as  they  said ;  and  indeed,  as 
they  told  us,  it  had  that  appearance,  but  I  have  never  seen 
it.1 

We  fared  better  this  night  than  the  last,  and  whether 
from  fatigue  or  other  reasons,  slept  soundly. 

7th,  Thursday.  We  had  intended  to  go  to  Najaeq,  to 
Jaques's,  and  afterwards  to  Elbert's  in  the  bay,  in  order  to 
report  to  them  how  we  had  found  their  land,  but  Gerrit 
having  promised  his  father-in-law  some  firewood,  he  had  to 
take  Simon's  boat  for  the  purpose,  and  Simon's  wife  also 
had  some  errands  in  the  city.  We,  therefore,  determined 
to  go  with  them  as  we  did,  leaving  Grouanes  at  ten  o'clock, 
and  seeing  the  Indians  putting  up  their  huts  which  they  had 
entirely  thrown  down  during  their  intoxication,  although 
it  was  not  much  trouble,  as  it  was  not  much  to  make 
them.  With  a  tolerably  fair  wind  we  reached  the  city  at 
noon,  where  we  gave  ourselves  up  to  rest. 

We  wished  now  to  make  a  voyage  to  the  Nevesinkx, 
JRentselaer's  Hoeck,  and  Sant  Hock,  but  we  could  find  no 
opportunity,  for  the  reason  that  this  route  is  very  little 
navigated  in  the  winter  and  spring,  because  it  is  somewhat 
dangerous.  Meanwhile,  the  weather  continued  very  vari- 
able ;  sometimes  we  had  frost  and  severe  cold,  then  rain 
and  snow,  wind  and  squalls,  until  the  time  of  the  sun's 


1  The  Canticoy  appears  to  have  been  a  dance  which  the  Indians  practiced 
on  various  occasions.  Denton  calls  it,  "  a  dancing  match,  where  all  per- 
sons that  came  were  freely  entertained,  it  being  a  festival  time."  Brief 
Jjrsrrijitioit  of  Nap  York,  11.  Jacobus  Koelman,  a  Dutch  writer,  who 
seems  to  have  seen  it,  alludes  to  it  in  speaking  of  the  dances  of  the 
Labadists,  as  a  religious  exercise.  "  I  am  well  aware,"  he  says,  "  his- 
torically of  the  religious  dances  of  the  devotees  among  the  Turks,  called 
demises,  and  that  in  the  West  Indies  in  New  Netherland,  a  religious  dance 
is  performed  by  the  heathen,  when  they  go  after  the  dead,  which  in  their 
language  they  call  kintekan,n$  I  well  remember." — Ilistorisrh  Verhaal,  105. 


276 


THE  HUDSON  AM)  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


crossing  the  line,  when  it  began  to  become  warm,  but  con- 
tinned  still  variable,  though  it  improved  daily. 

20th,  W<</iirsf/«i/.  While  my  comrade  sat  writing,  he 
observed  a  change  in  his  vision,  being  able  to  see  better 
than  before,  when  he  had  to  look  extremely  close  in  writing. 
It  happened  thus  :  writing  as  he  was  accustomed  to  do,  his 
sight  in  an  instant  became  entirely  obscured,  so  that  he  had 
to  stop,  not  being  able  to  write  any  more.  Not  knowing 
what  it  was,  he  shut  his  eyes  and  rubbed  them,  as  they 
usually  do  when  any  thing  obstructs  the  sight,  and  then 
undertook  to  write  as  he  had  done  before,  but  yet  he  could 
not  see  well ;  when  raising  his  head  higher  from  the  paper, 
he  saw  much  clearer  than  when  he  had  to  look  close  to  it. 
Had  he  kept  his  eves  up  so  high  before,  he  would  scarcely 
have  been  able  to  see  at  all.  You  could  also  perceive  that 
his  writing  was  different  afterwards. 

A  yacht  arrived  down  the  river  from  the  Hysopus,  from 
which  they  learned  the  navigation  was  open,  though  boats 
going  up  would  have  to  tug  through  the  ice.  It  brought 
news  of  the  death  of  the  minister,  Domine  Grdesbeek,  a 
Cocceian,  which  had  caused  great  sorrow.  They  had  deter- 
mined to  call  another  minister  from  Holland,  or  Tessemaker 
from  the  south.  They  had  built  a  new  church  in  the  Hyso- 
pus, of  which  the  glass  had  been  made  and  painted  in  the 
city,  by  the  father  of  our  mate,  Evert  Duiken,  whose  other 
son,  Gerrit,  did  most  of  the  work.1  This  Gerrit  Duiken  had 
to  take  the  glass  to  the  Hysojms,  and  having  heard  we  had 
a  mind  to  go  there,  he  requested  our  company,  which  we 


1  Evert  Dnykinck,  who  came  early  to  New  Netherland,  and  was  in  the 
employment  of  the  West  India  Company,  at  the  fort  Good  Hope,  on  the 
Connecticut,  at  the  time  of  the  troubles  with  the  English  there  in  1640, 
was  a  glazier  by  trade.  By  the  phrase,  making  the  glass,  we  apprehend 
glazing  is  all  that  is  meant  by  our  journalist.  His  son,  Gerrit,  was  an 
adherent  of  Leisler,  and  a  member  of  his  council.  O'Callaghan's  Cal- 
endar of  Dutch  Manuscripts,  44,  326. 


A  START  FOR  NEVESINK. 


277 


would  not  refuse  him  when  the  time  came.  He  promised 
to  teach  me  how  to  draw. 

23d,  Saturday.  The  first  boat  arrived  from  Fort  Orange 
to-day,  bringing  scarcely  any  news  except  that  a  great  num- 
ber of  Indians  had  died  in  the  early  part  of  the  winter  of 
small  pox,  and  a  large  party  of  them  had  gone  south  to  make 
war  against  the  Indians  of  Carolina,  beyond  Virginia,  for 
which  reason  the  hunting  of  beaver  had  not  been  good, 
and  there  would  be  a  great  scarcity  of  peltries  this  year, 
which  was  the  chief  trade  of  ~New  Netherland,  especially 
in  this  quarter. 

There  was  something  published  and  posted  by  this 
government  to-day  against  that  of  New  Jersey  or  Adder 
kol,  but  I  do  not  know  precisely  what  it  was.1  We  found 
to-day  an  opportunity  to  go  to  Nevesinck.  An  Englishman 
who  had  a  little  boat,  and  small  enough,  was  going  on  Mon- 
day without  fail,  and  he  had,  he  said,  about  sixteen  pas- 
sengers. 

24tth,  Sunday,  and  25th,  Monday.  It  stormed  hard  from  the 
northwest,  and  he  could  not  go,  but  he  came  to  tell  us  he 
would  give  us  notice  when  he  would  sail. 

26th,  Tuesday.  He  came  and  told  us  he  would  leave  next 
day  at  sunrise,  and  in  passing  by  the  house,  he  would  come 
in  and  call  us. 

27^/?,  Wednesday.  We  waited  for  him  from  an  early  hour, 
but  it  was  nearly  ten  o'clock  before  we  saw  him.  We 
went  to  his  boat  which  was  poor  enough,  very  small,  light, 
and  lank,  though  it  had  been  repaired  some ;  it  had  an  old 
sail  and  piece  of  a  foresail,  and  yet  this  captain  was  as 

•This  was  the  proclamation  of  Governor  Andros  against  Governor 
Carteret's  assuming  to  exercise  the  powers  of  governor  of  East  Jersey,  to  be 
found  in  Leaning  and  Bpicer's  Grants  and  Concessions  of  New  Jersey,  G75. 
We  are  enabled  to  identify  it  from  th*  date,  which  is  the  13th  of  March 
old  style,  corresponding  with  that  of  our  journalist,  who  adopts  the  new 
style,  which  had  already  been  introduced  at  that  time  into  Holland. 


278 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


stern  and  arrogant  with  his  boat,  as  if  it  were  a  ship-of- 
war.  We  waited  there  for  the  passengers,  but  they  had 
melted  away  to  three,  my  comrade,  myself  and  one  other 
person.  We  started  about  eleven  o'clock  with  a  good 
wind  and  tide,  though  it  was  almost  low  water.  When 
we  reached  the  Narrows  [tic  lion/dan,  the  wind  veered 
round  to  the  southeast,  which  was  against  us.  We  dis- 
covered the  boat  to  be  so  leaky  that  she  had  a  foot  or  two  of 
water  in  her,  which  he  sought  to  excuse,  but  every  word 
he  said  on  the  subject  was  untrue.  The  pump  was  stopped 
up,  and  we  had  to  help  him  clear  it  out,  which  was  accom- 
plished after  much  trouble  and  bungling.  We  cleared  it 
out,  but  we  had  that  to  do  three  times,  because  in  repair- 
ing the  boat  they  had  left  all  the  chips  and  pieces  of  wood 
lying  in  the  hold  between  the  planks,  and  when  we 
pumped,  this  stuff  would  continually  obstruct  the  pump, 
though  we  succeeded  in  getting  out  most  of  the  water. 
Meanwhile  the  wind  changed  to  the  south  and  southwest, 
with  which  there  was  every  prospect  of  getting  outside. 
We  tacked  about  and  reached  Coney  ( Conynen)  island,  a 
low,  sandy  island,  lying  on  the  east  side  of  the  entrance 
from  the  sea.  We  came  to  anchor  under  its  outermost 
point,  when  we  should  have  gone  inside  of  Sandy  Hook 
(Scent  Iloeck),  in  a  creek,  as  we  were  able  yet  to  do  ;  but  he 
said,  we  must  go  outside  of  Sandy  Hook,  round  by  sea,  and 
then  make  for  a  creek  there.  I  began  now  to  have  other 
thoughts.  To  put  to  sea  in  such  a  light,  low,  decayed  and 
small  boat,  with  rotten  sails,  and  an  inexperienced  skipper, 
and  that  at  night,  did  not  suit  me  very  well.  The  sea  began 
already  to  roll  round  the  point  of  Coney  island,  and  I  appre- 
hended bad  weather  from  pain  in  my  breast  and  other  indi- 
cations. He  said  the  place  where  we  were  lying  was 
entirely  shoal,  and  he,  therefore,  dared  not  go  near  the 
shore,  as  there  was  only  eight  or  ten  feet  water.  But  he 
was  much  mistaken,  for  when  he  let  the  anchor  fall,  it  ran 


CONEY  ISLAND.    THE  LOWER  BAY. 


279 


out  six  fathoms  of  rope  before  it  struck  the  bottom.  I  had 
seated  myself  all  the  time  at  the  helm,  and  observed  he  was 
a  miserable  person.  It  was  then  about  half  flood,  and 
having  put  things  somewhat  in  order,  he  asked  us  if  we 
would  go  ashore  with  him.  I  said  yes,  and  I  did  so  for  the 
purpose  of  ascertaining  how  the  westerly  point  of  this 
island  was  situated  on  the  sea  entrance.  My  comrade  and 
the  other  passenger  having  no  wish  to  go,  remained  on 
board.  Upon  reaching  the  shore,  we  saw  immediately  a 
large  ship  coming  up  the  bay  from  Sandy  Hook,  which  we 
supposed  to  be  Margaret's  ship,  which  she  had  left  to  be 
repaired  at  Falmouth,  as  we  have  before  mentioned.  I 
wondered  why  our  skipper  did  not  return  on  board,  but  he 
not  only  remained  ashore,  and  left  his  boat  with  two 
inexperienced  persons,  but  he  had  not  hauled  up  on  the 
beach  his  small  canoe  in  which  we  came  ashore,  or  made  it 
fast.  I  went  with  him  along  the  strand,  on  the  sea  side, 
and  saw  that,  close  by  Coney  island,  a  strong  flood  tide  was 
running,  which  was  pressed  between  the  east  bank  and  the 
island,  and  that  led  us  to  think  there  was  an  opening  there 
through  which  you  could  sail  out  and  in,  which  is  the  fact, 
as  I  was  afterwards  informed  by  one  who  was  very  well 
acquainted  with  the  place ;  but  it  is  only  deep  enough  for 
boats,  yachts,  and  other  small  craft.  This  island,  on  the 
sea  side,  is  a  meadow  or  marsh  intersected  by  several  kils 
or  creeks.  It  is  not  large,  being  about  half  an  hour  or 
three  quarters  long,  and  stretching  nearly  east  and  west. 
It  is  sandy  and  uninhabited.  They  generally  let  their 
horses  run  upon  it  to  feed,  as  they  cannot  get  off"  of  it.  We 
found  good  oysters  in  the  creek  inside,  and  eat  some  of 
them,  but  seeing  his  carelessness,  I  could  not  remain  longer 
from  the  boat,  as  the  canoe  might  be  carried  off,  on  the 
rise  of  tbe  water,  by  the  tide  or  the  wind,  and  my  comrade 
and  the  other  passenger  who  was  sea-sick,  not  know  what 
to  do,  the  more  so,  looking  at  the  inexperience  and  care- 


280 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLIEXTS. 


lessness  of  the  captain.  I,  therefore,  hurried  to  the  hoat, 
running1  across  the  island.  On  the  inside  of  the  island,  I 
found  a  sandy  elevation  like  a  dune  or  high  dyke  winch 
hecame  gradually  lower  towards  Loug  Island,  and  that  is 
all  which  shows  itself  here.  This  elevation  is  on  the  land 
side,  and  is  mostly  covered  with  hollies,  which,  according 
to  my  recollection,  I  have  never  seen  growing  in  this  region 
except  on  dry  and  very  fine  sand.  When  we  reached  the 
canoe,  it  was  not  only  afloat,  hut  it  had  been  thrown  across 
the  beach  by  the  sea,  and  was  full  of  water.  If  it  had 
moved  off,  we  certainly  would  have  been  at  a  loss.  The 
water  being  high,  the  sea  came  rolling  in  heavily  around 
the  point  into  the  bay,  and  caused  the  boat  lying  in  the 
current,  which  ran  strong  here,  to  pitch  greatly.  We  were 
even  fearful  about  getting  on  board  again,  for  the  canoe 
could  scarcely  hold  us  both.  I  told  him  to  go  on  board 
first,  and  bring  the  boat  nearer  the  shore,  and  then  he 
could  take  me  aboard,  but  he  would  not  do  so,  we  must  go 
on  board  together.  We,  therefore,  both  went  into  it,  and 
reached  the  boat,  though  it  was  very  dangerous.  As  soon 
as  we  came  aboard,  our  skipper  spoke  about  leaving  there, 
as  we  could  not  lie  there  well.  I  asked  him  where  he  would 
go  to.  lie  said  to  the  city,  which  I  did  not  much  oppose, 
and  was  secretly  glad  of,  seeing  it  was  from  the  Lord.  We, 
therefore,  had  to  abandon  our  design  of  going  to  the  Neve- 
sinckx  at  this  time.  The  large  ship  which  we  had  seen, 
sailed  before  us ;  and  we  found  that  we  had  not  been  mis- 
taken in  our  supposition,  as  it  was  the  same  vessel  we  had 
left  iu  Falmouth.  It  commenced  blowing  hard  in  the 
evening,  and  we  had  as  much  as  we  could  stand,  but  we 
reached  the  city  while  it  was  yet  in  the  evening,  very  much 
rejoiced. 

28th,  Thursday,  and  29th,  Friday.  There  was  a  severe 
storm,  accompanied  with  much  rain,  from  the  south-east, 
it  being  about  new  moon.    Certainly,  if  we  did  not  see  in 


GOVERNOR  ANDROS. 


281 


this,  the  continual  care  of  the  Lord,  in  his  providence,  we 
were  worse  than  heasts,  for  it  was  too  manifest  not  to  be 
touched  by  it.  He  gives  us  grace  only  to  lose  ourselves 
more  and  more  in  him,  and  to  offer  ourselves  up  to  his 
service. 

30th,  Sunday.  The  storm  continued  the  whole  day. 

31st,  Monday.  We  determined  to  make  a  journey  to 
Albany  the  first  opportunity,  but  this  could  not  be  done 
without  the  special  permission  of  the  governor.  Although 
a  regulation  exists  that  no  one  shall  go  up  there  unless 
he  has  been  three  years  in  the  country,  that  means  for  the 
purpose  of  carrying  on  trade  ;  for  a  young  man  who  came 
over  with  us  from  Holland,  proceeded  at  once  to  Albany, 
and  continues  to  reside  there.  We  went  accordingly  to 
request  permission  of  the  governor.  After  we  had  waited 
two  or  three  hours,  his  excellency  came  in  and  received 
us  kindly.  "We  made  our  request,  which  he  neither  refused 
nor  granted,  but  said  he  would  take  it  into  consideration. 
Meanwhile,  we  inquired  after  vessels  of  which  there  were 
plenty  going  up  this  time  of  year. 

April  2d,  Wednesday.  We  went  again  to  the  lord  go- 
vernor for  permission,  who  received  us  after  he  had  dined. 
He  inquired  for  what  purpose  we  wished  to  go  above ;  to 
which  we  answered,  we  had  come  here  to  see  the  country, 
its  nature  and  fertility ;  and  that  we  had  heard  there  were 
fine  lands  above,  such  as  Schoonechten,  Rentselaerswyck,  and 
the  Hyso-pus.  "  Those  are  all  small  places,"  he  said,  "  and 
are  all  taken  possession  of ;  but  I  am  ashamed  I  did  not 
think  of  this."  He  then  requested  us  to  come  some  morn- 
ing and  dine  with  him,  when  he  would  talk  with  us.  We 
thanked  him,  and  took  our  leave,  reflecting  whether  it 
would  be  advisable  to  trouble  his  excellency  any  more  about 
the  matter,  as  it  was  not  of  such  great  importance  to  us, 
and  he,  perhaps,  considered  it  of  more  moment  than  we 
did.  We  then  felt  inclined  to  leave  the  country  the  very 
36 


282 


Tin-:  iiudson  and  its  affluents. 


first  opportunity,  as  we  had  nothing  more  to  do  here,  and 
it  was  the  very  best  time  of  year  to  make  a  voyage.  As 
we  had  some  of  our  goods  left  after  we  were  forbidden  to 
sell  any  more,  we  went  to  see  if  we  eould  get  rid  of  what 
we  had  kept  for  Ephraim.  As  there  was  no  prospect  of 
seeing  him,  we  proposed  to  do  the  best  we  could  with  one 
of  our  neighbors,  named  Cornells  van  Kb  if,  to  whom  my 
comrade  had  spoken,  and  who  was  inclined  to  trade.  He 
entered  into  negotiations,  but  was  a  little  timorous.  We 
offered  to  let  him  examine  the  bills  of  the  persons  from 
whom  we  had  bought  the  goods,  and  also  of  the  freight 
and  custom-house  duties,  and  he  should  give  us  an  advance 
of  thirty  per  cent  on  their  amount ;  or,  he  might  see  what 
they  were  worth,  and  could  be  sold  for,  and  we  would 
divide  the  profits  equally  with  him.  After  he  had  looked 
at  them,  he  did  not  dare  to  take  them  himself  alone,  but 
said  he  would  bring  another  person,  in  order  that  with  the 
two  of  them,  they  could  make  it  safe.  He  did  not  say  he 
had  no  means  of  payment,  though  he  did  remark  he  had 
no  peltries,  which  we  would  willingly  have  taken  in  pay- 
ment. The  other  person  had  the  means  to  pay.  We  told 
him  we  would  wait  until  de  la  Grange  returned  from  the 
South  river ;  that  I  had  spoken  to  his  wife  on  the  subject, 
and  that  he  was  expected  back  every  day  ;  at  all  events,  that 
we  would  wait  until  we  had  spoken  to  some  other  person. 
Van  Kleif's  wife,  however,  took  some  fine  thread,  ribbons, 
pins,  and  what  she  wanted  for  herself. 

7th,  Sunday.  M.  de  la  Grange  arrived  home  from  the 
South  river,  and  came  with  his  wife  in  the  afternoon  to  visit 
us,  both  being  under  concern  of  mind.  We  addressed  to 
them  what  we  thought  necessary.  He  stated  he  had  agreed 
with  his  nephew  to  go  in  partnership  with  him,  and  could 
not  withdraw  therefrom,  unless  God  did  something  special. 
They  both  hoped  that  God  would  have  pity  upon  them. 

We  spoke  of  the  remnant  of  our  little  stock,  and  of  the 


GOVERNOR  OF  CONNECTICUT. 


283 


time  advancing  when  we  must  be  rid  of  it,  so  as  to  be 
prepared  to  leave  the  country.  He  said  as  soon  as  the  boat, 
which  he  had  chartered,  returned  from  the  South  river,  in 
which  he  had  some  peltries,  we  would  see  what  we  could 
do  with  each  other. 

8th,  Monday.  Van  Kleif  came  to  examine  the  goods 
again.  He  had  the  disposition,  but  not  the  means  to  buy, 
and  wished  to  bring  still  another  person  to  make  the  pur- 
chase, whom  he  named,  and  who  was  one  of  the  most 
miserly  persons  in  the  city,  which  was  not  agreeable  to  us. 
We,  therefore,  told  him  we  had  already  spoken  to  M.  de  la 
Grange. 

10th,  Wednesday.  The  boat  of  de  la  Grange  arrived  from 
the  South  river,  bringing  a  letter  for  us  from  Ephraim,  in 
which  he  informed  us  of  his  intention  to  come  and  visit  us 
the  last  of  April  or  the  first  of  May,  which  we  much  desired. 

The  governor  of  Hartford,  a  place  situated  to  the  north, 
arrived  in  the  city  from  the  West  Indies.  Our  governor 
entertained  him  nobly,  and  parted  with  him  with  great 
civility. 

Two  vessels  sailed  for  Boston,  where  we  much  desired  to 
go,  but  we  were  not  prepared.  The  governor  investigated 
whether  either  of  them  had  taken  any  thing  on  board 
below  the  city. 

We  left  a  small  piece  of  bx-own  serge,  which  stood  us  in 
rather  dear,  but  was  very  fine  and  strong,  and  which  on 
account  of  its  high  price,  we  had  not  been  able  to  dispose 
of,  to  be  cut  up  for  a  coat,  waistcoat  and  breeches  for  both 
of  us,  with  fur  in  front,  so  that  almost  the  whole  piece  was 
used,  de  la  Grange  taking  the  remnant,  with  which  he  was 
much  pleased,  for  a  coat,  because  he  did  not  know  where 
to  obtain  such  goods  in  this  country.  Meanwhile,  the 
barter  of  our  few  goods  was  going  on  with  him  at  the  rate 
of  fifty  per  cent  profit  on  the  invoices,  upon  which  con- 
dition he  took  almost  all  of  them. 


284 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


12th,  Saturday.  We  called  upon  the  governor,  and  re- 
quested permission  to  leave.  He  spoke  to  us  kindly,  and 
asked  us  to  come  the  next  day  after  preaching,  thus'  pre- 
venting our  request. 

Utht  Sunday.  About  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  we 
went  to  the  lord  governor,  who  was  still  engaged,  at  our 
arrival,  in  the  Common  Prayer  {  but  as  soon  as  it  was  finished, 
he  came  and  spoke  to  us,  even  before  we  had  spoken  to 
him,  and  said  of  a  person  who  was  with  him,  "  This  is 
Captain  Deyer,1  to  whom  I  have  given  directions  to  write 
a  permit  or  passport  for  you  to  go  to  Albany."    He  again 
asked  us  where  we  came  from,  and  where  we  lived,  which 
we  told  him.    1  [e  also  inquired  something  ajxmt  the  prince 
of  Friesland,  and  the  princess,  and  also  about  the  differ- 
ences of  the  people  of  Friesland  and  his  Royal  Highness  and 
their  High  Mightinesses,  which  we  told  him.    We  then 
thanked  him  for  his  favor,  and  said  the  object  of  our  visit 
was  not  only  to  ask  permission  to  go  up  the  river,  but  also 
to  leave  the  country.     He  thereupon  stated  that  there 
would  be  no  boat  going  to  Boston  for  two  or  three  weeks, 
but  he  intended  to  send  one  himself  soon  to  Penncquieq, 
which  was  at  our  service,  and  we  could  easily  get  to' 
Boston  from  there  by  a  fishing  boat  or  some  other  vessel. 
We  thanked  him  for  the  honor  and  kindness  he  had  shown 
us,  and  further  inquired  of  him  whether  it  would  be  ne- 
cessary to  have  a  passport  at  our  departure.    He  replied 
no.     We  inquired,  also,  whether  it  would  be  necessary 
to  post  up  our  names,  as  there  is  an  established  regulation 
that  it  should  be  done  six  weeks  before  leaving.     To  this 
he  replied,  if  we  were  merchants,  and  owed  any  body,  it 

1  William  Dyer,  gent.,  was  commissioned  by  the  Duke  of  York  in  1674 
collector  of  the  customs  at  New  York,  in  which  capacity  he  acted  during 
Andres's  first  term  as  governor  of  the  province.  He  was  mayor  of  New 
1  ork  in  1680-1.—  New  York  Colonial  History,  III,  221,  304 


A  BARTER.   JACOB  SWARTS  FAMILY. 


285 


would  be  proper  to  do  so,  and  then  asked  if  such  was  the 
case  with  either  of  us.  We  answered  no ;  then,  he  con- 
tinued, it  is  not  necessary.  Tor  all  which  we  thanked  his 
excellency,  and  took  our  leave. 

Reflecting  upon  this  matter,  we  thought  whether  it  would 
not  be  more  respectful  to  make  the  voyage  to  Albany,  than 
to  leave,  since  we  had  several  times  requested  permission 
to  do  so,  and  he  had  now  granted  it.  Should  we  not  go, 
it  would,  perhaps,  not  be  well  received  by  him,  the  more 
so  as  there  would  not  be  any  vessel  going  to  Boston  for 
some  weeks.  Nevertheless,  it  was  not  bad  that  we  had 
shown  his  excellency  it  was  not  so  important  to  us  that  we 
could  not  let  it  pass. 

lbth,  Monday.  We  went  in  search  of  a  boat  to  go  to 
Albany,  and  found  one  ready  to  leave  immediately.  The 
name  of  the  skipper  was  Ileus1  Hoogboom,  to  whom  we 
agreed  to  pay,  for  the  passage  up  and  down,  one  beaver, 
that  is,  twenty-five  guilders  in  zeewant,  for  each  of  us,  and 
find  ourselves.  We  gave  him  our  names,  to  have  them 
inserted  in  the  passport. 

Meanwhile  we  disposed  of  all  our  goods  to  M.  de  la 
Grange,  upon  the  terms  before  mentioned,  and  received  in 
pay  peltries  of  every  description.  But,  as  we  were  not 
experienced  in  merchandise,  and  much  less  in  peltries,  we 
deemed  it  proper  to  have  what  we  received,  examined  and 
valued  against  the  goods  sold,  by  Van  Kleif,  before 
named.  He  valued  some  of  the  peltries  much  less  than 
they  had  been  charged  to  us.  But  as  there  are  few 
merchants  who  do  not  hatchel  each  other  a  little,  so  stand- 
ing near  this  merchant  you  could  see  he  was  not  free  from 
this  feeling,  and  you  would  believe,  if  he  had  owned  our 
goods  and  been  free  to  receive  payment  for  them,  in  such 
kind  of  pay,  he  would  have  valued  them  much  higher. 


1  Meus  is  a  contraction  of  Bartholomeus. 


286 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


However,  there  were  three  beavers  among  them  which 
were  not  current;  these  Mr.  de  la  Grange  cheerfully  took 
back,  as  they  were  not  his,  but  had  been  borrowed  by  hirn 
of  his  nephew,  in  consequence  of  his  not  having  enough  of 
his  own. 

He  was  about  to  return  to  the  South  river,  in  order  to 
bring  on  more  goods,  which  he  had  there.  His  wife  was 
going  with  him,  to  see  if  she  would  live  there;  for  she 
seemed  to  take  the  subject  to  heart  of  separating  herself 
from  the  sinful  attachments  of  the  world,  giving  up  trade, 
and  going  to  live  upon  the  land  and  out  of  the  land.  His 
nephew  was  also  going  with  them,  for  a  pleasure  trip,  and 
to  see  the  country,  and  especially  to  learn  the  way  of 
trading.  They  were  to  leave  this  evening,  having  already 
dispatched  the  boat  on  Monday  last. 

Kith,  Tin  ■«/"//.  Before  we  proceed  any  further,  I  must 
here  insert  a  very  remarkable  circumstance,  for  the  comfort 
and  joy  of  God's  children,  who  rejoice  with  the  holy  and 
blessed  angels  over  the  repentance  of  one  poor  great 
sinner,  more  than  over  ninety  and  nine  just  men,  who 
need  no  repentance.  The  old  man  and  his  wife  with  whom 
we  lodged  had  several  children,  the  husband  and  wife  each 
three  by  former  marriages,  and  one  between  themselves. 
The  husband's  children  by  his  former  wife  were  two 
daughters  and  one  son.  One  of  the  daughters  was  married 
to  Gerrit,  the  wheelwright,  who  had  married  her  in  New 
Netherland,  but  upon  the  first  change  in  the  government 
[1GG4],  she  left  for  Holland,  and  he  followed  her  there  after 
a  little  time,  and  kept  house  at  Zwolle ;  but  not  being  able, 
after  several  years,  to  succeed  very  well  in  the  Netherlands, 
he  came  back  in  the  same  ship  with  us,  leaving  his  wife 
and  children  behind  at  Zwolle.  Finding  matters  go  on 
here  to  his  wishes,  he  sent  for  his  family  by  Captain  Jacob, 
of  the  ship  Beaver.  This  is  Gerrit  the  wheelwright,  or 
carpenter,  whom  we  have  mentioned  several  times  in  our 


A  REMARKABLE  CONVERSION. 


287 


journal.  Another  daughter  lived  still  at  Amsterdam,  for 
whom  he  has  given  us  several  messages  and  a  letter  to  take 
when  we  leave.  His  son  is  a  carpenter  in  the  East  Indies. 
The  children  of  the  old  woman  were  a  daughter  named 
Geesie,  married  here,  in  New  York,  to  one  Peter  Denis,1 
weighmaster;  another  daughter,  named  Rebecca,  was  also 
married  here  with  one  Arie,2  who  gained  his  livelihood  by 
cultivating  land  and  raising  cattle,  hut  kept  a  tavern,  or 
drinking  house,  having  a  situation  therefor,  and  living  upon 
a  delightful  spot  at  the  Vers  Water  (Fresh  Water),  a  little  out 
of  town ;  and  a  son,  named  Theunis,3  who  was  married 
and  had  six  children,  and  who  supported  himself  by  farm- 
ing at  Sapokanike.  The  old  couple  had  one  child  between 
them,  named  Willem,  now  about  twenty-three  years  old,  a 
carpenter  by  trade,  a  little  rough  and  coarse,  but  otherwise 
not  an  unjust  kind  of  a  person,  according  to  the  world. 
He  lived  at  home  with  his  parents,  where  we  lodged.  He 
was  somewhat  wronged  in  his  inheritance,  as  the  old 
people  acknowledged,  and  we  reproved  them  for  it. 
They  promised  amendment. 

JSTow  the  before  named  Theunis  had  led  a  very  godless 
life,  and  had  been  wild  and  reckless,  extraordinarily 
covetous,  addicted  to  cursing  and  swearing,  and  despising 
all  religious  things ;  but  he  was  not  a  drunkard,  nor  was 


1  Peter  Denyse ;  who  was  farmer  of  the  weigh  house.  He  died  soon 
after  this  time. —  O'Callaghari'a  Calendar  of  English  Manuscripts,  66,  96. 

2  Arie,  or  Adrian  Cornelisen,  who;  with  Rebecca  Idensen,  his  wife,  was, 
according  to  Domine  Selyn's  list  of  church  members,  still  residing  in 
168G,  over  the  Fresh  Water,  afterwards  called  the  Kolk,  and  now  Centre 
street.  He  was  living  there  as  early  as  1G64.  Calendar  of  DutcJi  Manu- 
acripts,  265.  For  his  children,  see  New  York  Manual,  of  1863,  p.  753.  It  was 
to  his  house  the  travelers  went  on  the  first  Sunday  afternoon  after  their 
arrival  in  New  York. 

3  Theunis  Idensen.  The  names  and  times  of  baptism  of  his  six  children 
are  given  in  New  York  Manual  of  1863,  p.  779. 


288 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


he  unchaste,  though  he  previously  had  taken  something  that 
did  not  belong  to  him.    In  a  word,  he  was  ignorant  of  the 
truth  and  a  godless  man,  yet  his  evil  and  wickedness  were 
more  in  the  spirit  than  in  the  flesh.   Nevertheless,  it  appears 
that  God  had  purposes  of  grace  in  regard  to  him,  and  the 
time  was  approaching  when  God  would  touch  him  and 
draw  him  to  him.    He  had  long  since  felt  his  conscience 
gnawing  him  for  his  godless  life,  and  that  with  a  strength 
which  very  much  increased  his  chagrin.     He  became 
meagre  in  body,  his  eyes  were  sunken  in  his  head,  he  was 
sombre  of  speech,  he  sought  solitude  in  order  to  fly  from 
the  evil,   but   found  it  was  augmented  manifold;  and 
gradually  began  to  long  for  deliverance  and  a  better  life. 
The  devil  had  been  assailing  him  for  six  years  past,  and  he 
was,  therefore,  in  a  miserable  state,  of  both  soul  and  body. 
Thus  he  was,  when,  by  God's  providence,  we  arrived  in  the 
country,  and  went  to  lodge  at  his  mother's  house,  as  we  have 
related.    We  had  been  at  the  house  only  two  or  three 
days,  when  he  also  came  there.    I  was  writing  in  the  front 
room,  and  my  comrade  was  with  me.    He  heard  us  talking 
together  about  God,  and  the  Christian  life  in  general, 
which,  so  affected  him,  that  he  said  to  himself,  "0,  God! 
what  men  are  these  ?    Where  did  they  come  from  ?  Are 
there  such  people  still  in  the  world  ?  "    This  he  told  us 
afterwards.     However,  it  took  such  hold  of  his  heart,  that 
he  more  earnestly  resolved  to  reform  his  life,  while  the 
devil,  being  more  displeased,  assailed  him  the  more 
violently.   His  wife  was  a  very  ill-natured  women,  scolding, 
growling,  cursing  and  swearing  at  him,  as  well  as  at  their 
children,  and  constantly  finding  fault  with  him,  through 
her  avarice,  because  he  did  not  do  more  work,  although 
he  wrought  continually,  and  as  much  as  three  other  men. 
Their  children,  collectively,  were  very  bad  and  saucy,  and 
cursed  and  swore  at  each   other,   except  the  oldest,  a 
daughter,  who  appeared  to  be  the  best  of  them.  This 


A  SERIES  OF  MISFORTUNES. 


289 


man  being  in  such  a  state  was  pressed  on  all  sides.  He 
sometimes,  but  not  often,  came  to  our  bouse,  and  as  we 
knew  nothing  of  bis  condition,  we  only  addressed  to  him, 
occasionally,  a  general  remark.  However,  his  time  and 
that  of  the  Lord  were  approaching.  He  heard  a  sermon 
upon  the  requisites  of  communicants  of  the  Lord's  supper, 
which  he  had  never,  as  yet,  enjoyed;  and  was  thrown 
very  much  aback,  abhorring  himself  and  many  others, 
who  went  to  it,  yet  pursued  as  wicked  lives  as  he  did.  For 
bimself,  he  saw  no  probability  of  his  ever  being  able  to 
partake  of  it,  conscious  as  he  was  of  his  being  wicked 
and  unworthy.  He  saw  no  means  of  release,  and  found 
no  help  or  consolation  wherever  he  went  or  came.  To 
go  to  his  minister,  would,  he  thought,  render  him  little 
good,  as  he  knew  by  several  examples.  He  kept  his 
condition  concealed  from  us,  and  did  not  dare  speak  to  us, 
so  that  he  was  in  distress  for  himself,  his  family,  and  his 
entire  state,  and  often  wishing  to  die.  This  caused  him  to 
live  in  continual  variance  and  quarrelling  with  his 
neighbors.  He  lost  several  cows  and  other  cattle,  by 
which  he  suffered  great  damage.  A  little  daughter,  about 
fourteen  years  old,  who  lived  with  her  grandmother,  was 
so  badly  ruptured,  that  there  was  no  probability  of  her 
being  cured,  or  ever  being  fit  to  be  married.  He  had 
bought  a  piece  of  land,  in  common  with  Arie,  his  brother- 
in-law,  to  make  tillable  land  out  of  the  rough  woods.  It 
was  to  him  like  dead  fruit.  He  worked  on  it  three  times 
as  much  as  the  other  did,  in  felling  and  chopping  trees, 
and  making  the  best  of  it  into  timber,  which  was  carried 
to  the  city  with  little  or  no  profit  to  him,  but  to  the  people 
to  whom  Arie  was  indebted.  Differences  arose  between 
them  as  to  the  land  and  labor,  and  it  was,  therefore, 
proposed  to  divide  it,  and  separate;  but,  as  has  been 
before  mentioned,  they  had  begun  to  clear  off  a  part  of  it, 
and  they  could  not  agree  which  should  have  the  cleared 
37 


2!J0 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


land,   where  he  had  bestowed  so  much  labor.  Great 
bitterness  sprung  out  of  it,  when  the  mother  and  friends 
interposed,  and  settled  the  difficulty  as  well  as  they  could. 
Theunis  obtained  the  cleared  land  on  condition  he  should 
make  some  indemnity  to  the  other;  and  a  part  of  the  land, 
where  he  had  worked  like  a  mole,  and  bought  and  paid 
for,  should  be  given  up  by  him.    He  had  a  very  large  and 
beautiful  canoe,  which  was  worth  much  to  him,  and  had 
been  very  serviceable  to  him  ;  this  was  entirely  dashed  to 
pieces  by  a  northwest  storm,  as  Sapocanihh,  where  he 
resided  and  the  canoe  lay,  makes  with  this  wind  a  flat  lee 
shore.     Although  his  neighbors  could  have  prevented  the 
breaking  of  the  canoe,  if  they  had  done  as  they  ought  to 
hare  done,  they  had  not  at  least  attempted  to  prevent  it.  He 
had  a  fine  large  negro,  a  slave,  whom  he  had  long  possessed, 
and  taught  to  work  and  speak  good  Dutch ;  who  had  done  him 
great  service,  and  he  had  much  love  for  him.    The  negro 
was  riding  on  horse-back,  when  the  horse  ran  away  with 
him,  and  he  fell  and  was  injured  internally  in  the  breast. 
He  became  sick,  supposing  it  was  a  cold^  and  died  in  a 
few  days.    This  event  caused  great  sorrow  to  him,  his 
wife,  and  his  whole  family,  as  also  to  all  his  friends;  for  it 
was  a  severe  blow  and  damage  to  him.    He  was  once 
working  in  the  field,  and  his  wife  was  called  to  help  one 
of  the  cows  which  was  sick  and  in  a  bad  condition.  This 
happened  eight  or  ten  times  at  night  as  well  as  in  the  day, 
whereby  he  and  his  wife  had  no  rest  night  or  day.  He 
was  on  one  occasion  attending  her,  when  word  came  to 
them  that  one  of  their  little  daughters  had  fallen  dead  in 
the  barn,  and  indeed  they  knew  no  better,  for  she  lay  in  a 
swoon  as  if  dead;  at  which  they  were  all  much  frightened 
and  out  of  their  senses.    Thus  he  had  one  blow  after 
another.    The  child,  who  was  about  nine  or  ten  years  old, 
came  to,  when  they  thought  her  arm  was  broken,  or  at 
least  her  shoulder  out  of  joint,  for  she  had  fallen  from  a 


POSSESSED  BY  THE  EVIL  ONE. 


291 


great  height.  She  was  brought  in  that  condition  to  her 
grandmother's,  at  our  lodgings,  to  be  cured,  which  was 
effected  after  some  time.  He  has  also  had  several  mishaps 
in  the  woods  in  chopping  and  felling  trees ;  and  had  about 
this  time  an  accident  which  broke  him  down.  Having 
felled  a  tree,  it  remained  hanging  with  its  branches  in  the 
limbs  of  another  one,  and  in  endeavoring  to  pull  it  out  his 
whole  hand  was]  crushed  so  that  all  his  fingers  festered. 
This  happened  shortly  after  the  others.  All  these  mis- 
fortunes depressed  this  poor  man  very  much,  and  daily 
increased  his  anguish.  He  could  not  sleep,  and  found  rest 
nowhere.  He  did  nothing  but  sigh  and  complain  of 
inward  trouble.  When  we  heard  all  these  things,  we  said 
several  times  to  each  other,  the  Lord  has  certainly  some 
intention  in  regard  to  this  man  and  this  household  :  the 
Lord  visits  this  man ;  although  we  did  not  doubt  there 
was  something  of  the  evil  one. 

About  this  time  he  came  to  our  house,  and  we  embraced 
the  opportunity  to  speak  to  him,  which  we  did  with  great 
earnestness  and  affection,  by  which  he  was  strengthened, 
and  went  home  contented.  But  it  did  not  continue  long. 
He  became  very  much  disturbed  and  troubled.  He  went 
in  the  fields  to  plough,  and  the  horses  began  to  neigh  and 
bellow,  and  would  not  stand  still  an  instant,  springing  and 
jumping,  entangling  themselves  together,  foaming  and 
fuming  so  that  he  did  not  know  what  course  to  pursue. 
As  to  himself,  he  became  so  frightened  and  perplexed,  so 
confused  tbat  he  did  not  know  what  he  did  or  where  he 
was ;  he  was  bewildered,  and  his  whole  understanding  lost ; 
he  was  like  one  blind ;  he  wanted  to  go  to  the  house,  and 
ran  hither  and  thither,  through  water  and  everywhere, 
his  hat  off  his  head,  and  across  the  fields,  and  thus  reached 
home.  His  wife  and  children  were  frightened  because  he 
looked  so  horrible  and  disfigured.  He  demanded  a  rope 
and  wanted  to  harm  himself,  for  he  said  he  could  live  no 


292 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


longer.    The  wife  and  children  cried  ;  neighbors  were  sent 
for;  one  of  the  children  brought  the  grandmother  and 
Rebecca,  his  sister,  from  the  city.    This  was  on  Tuesday, 
the  16th  of  April,  in  the  afternoon.    My  comrade  was  in 
the  front  room  when  the  news  came,  though  there  were 
no  particulars.     He  came  to  me  in  the  hack  room  sorrow- 
ful, and  said  to  me,  vous  ne  savez  que  k  malm  a  eu  possession  sur 
noetre  pauvre  homme.    What  man  ?  I  asked.    "  Our  Theu- 
uis,"  he  replied,  "word  came  that  he  had  hanged  himself, 
and  afterwards  that  they  did  not  know  whether  he  was 
alive."    We  were  alarmed;  the  old  woman,  his  mother, 
had  gone  to  him;  and  after  waiting  a  little  time,  we  also' 
determined  to  go,  and  as  we  wee  a  little  quicker  on  foot 
we  reached  Sapocamks  almost  as  soon  as  she  did.    As  we 
approached  the  house  we  heard  the  lamentations  of  the 
women  and  children,  and  on  entering  we  found  there  no 
one,  except  the  mother,  the  sister  Rebecca,  and  a  female 
neighbor  who  was  a  fans  pieuse.    As  soon  as  we  came  in, 
he  stood  up  and  came  to  meet  us,  holding  out  his  hand,' 
and  calling  out :  "  Friends,  is  there  still  grace  with  God[ 
is  there  still  grace  for  me  with  God?"    We  grasped  his 
hand  and  said:  "Yes,  there  is  grace  for  you  with  God, 
and  for  all  repentant  sinners."    He  exclaimed,  "  What 
wickedness  have  I  committed !  how  have  I  sinned !  how 
have  I  stolen  God's  honor,  his  name  profaned  with  vile 
oaths,  his  sabbaths  violated,  his  word  despised!  how  godless 
have  I  lived,  and  run  from  him !    But  he  has  overtaken 
me.    How  has  the  devil  troubled  and  tempted  me,  how 
has  he  for  six  years  assailed  me,  seeing  that  I  no  longer 
wished  to  serve  him !    And  now  when  God  comes&to 
touch  me  and  draw  me,  he  seeks  to  devour  me;  but  he 
shall  not  have  me.    God  who  protects  me  is  stronger  than 
he,"  and  much  more  of  similar  import.    We  then  spoke 
to  him  according  to  his  state  and  condition,  which  did  him 
much  good.    This  pieuse  prated  also  after  her  manner,  but 


WORDS  OF  ADVICE. 


293 


we  tempered  her  down  a  little.  She  had  urged  him  very 
strongly  to  go  and  sit  down  and  read  I  know  not  what 
kind  of  a  hook ;  for,  she  said,  she  had  also  been  in  such  a 
state,  and  that  reading  had  done  her  much  good.  She 
was  much  astonished  at  our  saying  he  should  not  read, 
which  could  be  done  afterwards,  and  would  benefit  him 
when  he  should  be  well  and  quiet,  and  felt  a  desire  and 
longing  for  it ;  that  he  should  now,  if  he  could,  go  to  work 
at  what  had  to  be  done  or  he  had  an  inclination  to  do, 
whether  in  the  barn  among  the  grain  or  in  the  stalls 
among  the  cattle,  or  any  other  necessary  work.  We 
exhorted  him  to  put  his  trust  in  God,  to  pray  to  him  and 
cleave  to  him ;  the  devil  would  then  have  no  more  power 
over  him,  as  this  perhaps  was  his  last  attack.  He  said,  "  I 
fear  him  no  more,  God  will  protect  me  ;  I  feel  more  tran- 
quil, I  will  not  yield."  We  told  him  what  he  must  do  in 
future.  He  answered,  "  I  hope  and  trust  it  will  go  well." 
He  thanked  us  very  much  and  added,  "  Friends  you  are 
the  cause  that  I  still  live  and  of  my  preservation."  We 
told  him  it  was  God  to  whom  he  must  give  the  honor  and 
thank  for  his  grace  and  mercy ;  and  that  we  would  perhaps 
call  the  next  day,  if  we  did  not  leave,  at  which  he  was 
glad.  We  wanted  to  give  a  strong  admonition  to  his  wife 
and  children,  for  they  had  great  need  of  it,  and  in  order 
that  a  greater  impression  might  be  made  upon  them  by 
this  circumstance.  Returning  home  we  were  atfected  by  the 
grace  of  God  towards  a  poor  sinner,  who  truly  told  us  things 
from  the  bottom  of  his  heart  which  were  from  God  and 
his  Spirit,  according  to  his  word  and  our  experience.  In 
leaving  we  told  his  wife  how  she  must  keep  her  eye  on 
him,  and  conduct  herself  towards  him. 

17th,  Wednesday.  We  went  to  inquire  whether  the  boat 
was  going  up  the  river  to-day,  but  it  could  not  be  got  ready. 
In  the  afternoon  we  went  to  visit  Theunis  again,  whom  we 
found  at  home  quiet  and  calm.    He  received  us  kindly,  and 


204 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


we  asked  him  how  he  was.    Very  well,  he  said,  "  I  am  as 
much  relieved  as  if  I  had  a  great  burden  taken  from  my  shoul- 
ders."  He  had  rested  well  during  the  night.    We  praised 
God,  and  exhorted  him  to  perseverance,  and  to  trust  in 
him.    «  Trust  in  him,"  he  said.    "  I  know  as  well  that 
I  am  a  child  of  God  as  that  I  stand  here,  and  I  have 
no  fear  of  the  devil  any  more.     I  know  he  can  trouble 
me,  but  he  shall  do  longer  have  power  over  me."  We 
told  him  he  must  take  care  of  his  affairs,  and  work 
when  he  felt  inclined.    "  Work,"  he  said,  "  I  have  no  more 
work."    It  is  as  if  it  were  Sunday.    I  know  that  the  cattle 
must  be  taken  care  of  and  other  things  must  be  done,  but 
that  concerns  me  not.    I  have  no  work,  and  will  not  work 
again  as  I  have  done  before.    God  will  take  care  of  me. 
We  admonished  him  that  he  himself  and  his  whole  family 
ought  to  go  learn  and  be  reformed.    "  That  I  will  do,"  he 
replied,  "  if  it  please  God,  and  if  she  only  will  listen  and 
learn  ;  but  if  she  will  not  I  cannot  help  it."    We  read  to 
him  some  portions  of  scripture,  as  Matt,  v,  6.  John  xvi, 
17.  Matt,  vii,  8,  of  the  carefulness  of  the  world,  by  which 
he  found  himself  comforted,  and  promised  he  would  avoid 
the  world  as  much  as  he  could,  and  wished  he  could  fulfill 
his  inclination  and  go  and  live  alone  in  the  woods,  away 
from  wicked  men,  for  it  was  impossible  to  live  near  them 
and  not  sin  as  they  do.    "  Could  I  only  go  up  the  river," 
said  he,  "  with  you  and  everywhere  you  go !  Oh,  that  I 
were  a  young  man  I  would  not  leave  you."    You  could 
see  that  he  spoke  with  earnestness  and  from  the  uprightness 
of  his  soul. 

19th,  Friday.  We  had  been  several  times  for  our  passport, 
which  we  supposed  would  be  a  special  one  granted  by  his 
excellency  to  us,  but  in  that  we  were  mistaken.  Our  names 
were  merely  added  to  the  common  passport  to  go  up  and 
down  the  river,  as  the  names  of  all  the  passengers  were 
written  on  it.    We  left  lsTew  York  about  three  o'clock  in 


SAILING  UP  THE  RIVER. 


295 


the  afternoon  with  a  southerly  wind,  in  company  with  about 
twenty  passengers  of  all  kinds,  young  and  old,  who  made 
great  noise  and  bustle  in  a  boat  not  so  large  as  a  common 
ferry-boat  in  Holland;  and  as  these  people  live  in  the  inte- 
rior of  the  country  somewhat  nearer  the  Indians,  they  are 
more  wild  and  untamed,  reckless,  unrestrained,  haughty 
and  more  addicted  to  misusing  the  blessed  name  of  God 
and  to  cursing  and  swearing.    However  there  was  no  help 
for  it;  you  have  to  go  with  those  with  whom  you  are 
shipped.    We  were  scarcely  in  the  North  river  when  we 
saw  a  ship  coming  through  the  Narrows,  but  as  it  was  so 
far  off  we  could  not  discern  what  vessel  it  was.    Each  pas- 
senger had  his  own  opinion  on  the  subject.    After  we  had 
sailed  along  an  half  an  hour  we  heard  five  or  six  guns  fired 
from  the  fort  and  otherwise,  which  was  a  proof  that  she 
was  from  sea,    As  we  were  sailing  along  a  boat  came 
up  to  us  but  lost  her  mast  in  boarding  us.    She  was  to  the 
leeward  and  we  were  sailing  before  the  wind  with  a  good 
headway.    She  came  too  near  our  yard-arm  which  carried 
away  her  mast,  and  it  was  lucky  she  was  not  upset.  They 
put  on  board  some  tons  of  oysters,  which  are  not  to  be 
found  at  Fort  Albany  or  away  from  salt  water.   In  passing 
Sapocanike  we  saw  Theunis  standing  upon  an  eminence 
where  he  was  busy  ploughing,  and  observing  us  as  long  as 
he  could.    We  made  rapid  progress,  but  with  the  night 
the  wind  slackened,  and  we  were  compelled  to  come  to 
anchor  in  order  to  stem  the  tide. 

20th,  Saturday.  When  the  day  broke  we  saw  how  far  we 
had  advanced.  We  were  at  the  entrance  of  the  Highlands 
which  are  high  and  rocky,  and  lie  on  both  sides  of  the  river. 
While  waiting  there  for  the  tide  and  wind  another  boat 
came  alongside  of  us.  They  had  a  very  fine  fish,  a  striped 
bass,  as  large  as  a  codfish.  The  skipper  was  a  son-in-law 
of  Dr.  Schaats,  the  minister  at  Albany,  a  drunken,  worthless 
person  who  could  not  keep  house  wkh  his  wife,  who  was 


290 


the:  iiudson  and  its  affluents 


not  much  better  than  lie,  nor  was  his  father-in-law.  He 
had  been  away  from  his  wife  five  or  six  years,  and  was  now 
going  after  her.'    The.  wind  coming  out  of  the  south 
about  nine  o'clock  we  weighed  anchor,  and  got  under  sail. 
It  gradually  increased  until  we  had  drifted  through  the 
Highlands,  which  is  regarded  no  small  advantage  when- 
ever they  wish  to  sail  up  or  down  the  river;  because,  if 
they  do  not  have  a  fresh  breeze  aft,  they  cannot  have  much 
favorable  wind,  as  i„  blowing  crosswise  over  the  High- 
lands, it  blows  above  the  vessel,  and  sometimes  comes 
down  in  whirlwinds  which  are  dangerous.    In  the  evening 
we  sailed  before  the  Ilysopus,  where  some  of  the  pas- 
sengers desired  to  be  put  ashore,  but  it  blew  too  hard  and 
we  had  too  much  headway.    It  did  not  seem  to  be  very 
important.    In  consequence  of  the  river  above  the  Ilysopus 
being  difficult  to  navigate,  and  beset  with  shoals  and  pas- 
sages, and  of  the  weather  being  rainy  with  no  moon,  we 
could  not  proceed  without  continual  danger  of  running 
aground,  and  so  came  to  anchor. 

21st,  Easter  Sunday.  The  wind  was  against  us  and  calm, 
but  we  advanced  as  far  as  the  Koorman's  kit*  where  we' 
were  compelled  to  come  to  anchor,  on  account  of  the  strong 
current  running  down  the  river.  We  went  ashore  here  to 
walk  about  a  little.  There  are  two  high  falls  on  this  kil, 
where  the  beautiful  green  water  comes  falling  over  inces- 
santly, in  a  manner  wonderful  to  behold,  when  you  con- 
sider the  power,  wisdom  and  directions  of  God.  The 
water  was  the  greenest  I  had  observed,  not  only  on  the 

'Domine  Scbaats  had  one  daughter,  Anneke  or  Annatje,  who  married 
Thomas  Davidse  Kikebell,  the  skipper  above  referred  to.  Some  account 
of  her  may  be  found  in  VC'alla0/um's  mtory  of  New  Ketlierland  II  568 
It  appears  she  was  ordered  away  from  Albany  by  the  magistrates,  and  her 
husband  was  now  on  his  way  to  take  her  to  New  York. 

'Not  to  be  confounded  with  Norman's  kil,  adjoining  Albany  This 
was  a  stream  below  Kinderhook,  the  Cats  kil. 


ARRIVAL  AT  ALBANY. 


297 


South  river,  but  iu  all  New  Netherland.  Leaving  the 
cause  of  it  for  further  inquiry,  I  mention  it  merely  in  pass- 
ing-. At  the  falls  on  this  river  stands  a  fine  saw-mill 
which  has  wood  enough  to  saw.  The  man  who  lives 
there,  although  not  the  mildest,  treated  us,  nevertheless, 
reasonably  well.  He  set  before  us  shad  which  had  been 
caught  the  day  before,  and  was  very  good,  better,  we 
thought,  than  the  same  fish  in  Fatherland.1  I  observed 
along  the  shore,  trees  which  they  call  in  Holland,  the 
tree  of  life,2  such  as  we  have  in  our  garden,  but  they  grow 
here  beautiful  and  large,  like  firs.  I  picked  up  a  small 
stone  in  which  there  was  some  crystal,  and  you  could  see 
how  the  crystal  was  formed  in  the  stone. 

A  breeze  springing  up  from  the  south  caused  us  to  hurry 
on  board  the  yacht,  which  we  saw  was  making  sail.  We 
reached  her  after  a  good  time  of  hard  rowing,  and  were 
quite  tired  before  we  did  so.  The  breeze  did  not  con- 
tinue a  long  time,  and  we  came  to  anchor  again.  After 
several  stoppages  we  proceeded  to-day  as  far  as  Kinder- 
hook. 

22d,  Monday.  We  had  again  this  morning  a  southerly 
breeze,  which  carried  us  slowly  along  until  noon,  when  we 
came  to  anchor  before  the  Fuyck,  and  Fort  Albany  or 
Orange.  Every  one  stepped  ashore  at  once,  but  we  did 
not  know  where  to  go.  We  first  thought  of  taking  lodg- 
ings with  our  skipper,  but  we  had  been  warned  that  his 
house  was  unregulated  and  poorly  kept.  Mons.  van  Cleif, 
wishing  to  do  us  a  kindness,  had  given  us  a  letter  of  recom- 
mendation to  Mr.  Robert  Sanders,  and  M.  de  la  Grange 
had  also  presented  us  to  the  same  friend.    ¥e  went  ashore 


1  The  shad  in  Holland  have  larger  bones,  and  a  coarser  flesh  than  ours, 
although  they  are  the  same  species.  The  feeding  grounds  are  said  to 
cause  the  difference. 

2 Arbor  vitae. 

38 


298 


THE  HUDSON  A XI)  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


just  as  preaching  was  over,  to  deliver  our  letter.  This 
person  as  soon  as  lie  saw  us  at  his  house,  was  pleased 
and  received  us  with  every  attention,  and  so  did  all  his 
family,  giving  us  a  chamber  for  our  accommodation.  We 
did  not  remain  his  debtors  in  heartily  serving  him  in  what 
was  necessary,  whether  by  instruction,  admonition  or  re- 
proof, which  he  always  received  kindly,  as  it  seemed, 
promising  himself  as  well  as  all  his  family  to  reform,  which 
was  quite  necessary.1 

23d,  Tuesday.  Mr.  Sanders  having  provided  us  with 
horses,  we  rode  out  about  nine  o'clock,  to  visit  the  Cahoos 
which  is  the  falls  of  the  great  Marjuas  Id  (Mohawk  river), 
which  are  the  greatest  falls,  not  only  in  New  Netherland, 
but  in  North  America,  and  perhaps,  as  far  as  is  known,  in 
the  whole  New  World.2    We  rode  for  two  hours  over 


1  Robert  Sanders,  of  Albany,  was  a  distinguished  and  intelligent  Indian 
trader.  lie  became  well  versed  in  the  languages,  both  of  the  Mohawks 
and  the  River  Indians,  two  languages  radically  different,  and  acted  as 
interpreter  between  them  and  the  English  authorities,  on  several  occasions. 
He  was  particularly  designated  by  Mr.  Miller,  as  a  proper  person  to 
furnish  the  government  information  in  relation  to  the  condition  of  Canada. 
He  rendered  himself  so  obnoxious  to  the  French  governor  there,  in  conse- 
quence of  his  opposition  to  the  Jesuit  missionaries  among  the  Five  Nations, 
that  he  was  the  subject  of  special  complaint  in  the  letter  of  that  func- 
tionary, M.  Denonville,  to  Governor  Dongan,  in  1687. —  Colonial  Ilistory, 
EI,  469,  483,  485;  VI,  46,  63.— Miller's  Description  of  New  York  (Gowans's 
Edition),  81. 

'The  Cohoes  falls  certainly  affords  a  sublime  sight  when  the  flow  of 
water  is  at  its  height,  as  it  generally  is  at  the  time  of  year  when  they  were 
visited  by  our  travelers.  It  is  not  surprising  that  they  should  have  con- 
sidered them  the  largest  in  America.  As  far  as  the  topography  of  this 
continent  was  then  generally  known,  they  were  undoubtedly  correct. 
The  falls  of  Niagara,  it  is  true,  were  then  known  to  Europeans,  but  they 
had  not  been  particularly  described,  and  had  been  only  obscurely  men- 
tioned by  Champlain,  Sagard  and  Father  Ragueneau  in  the  Huron  Rela- 
tion of  1647-8.  Father  Hennepin  visited  them  in  1678-9,  a  year  or  two 
before  our  travelers  were  at  the  Cohoes,  but  his  account  did  not  appear 
in  print  until  1683. 


COHOES  FALLS.  299 

beautiful,  level,  tillable  land  along  tbe  river,  wben  we 
obtained  a  guide  who  was  better  acquainted  with  the  road 
through  the  woods.  He  rode  before  us  on  horseback.  In 
approaching  the  Cahoos  from  this  direction,  the  roads  are 
hilly,  and  in  the  course  of  half  an  hour  you  have  steep 
hills,  deep  valleys  and  narrow  paths,  which  run  round  the 
precipices,  where  you  must  ride  with  care,  in  order  to  avoid 
the  danger  of  falling  over  them,  as  sometimes  happens.  As 
you  come  near  the  falls,  you  can  hear  the  roaring  which  makes 
every  thing  tremble,  but  on  reaching  them,  and  looking  at 
them  you  see  something  wonderful,  a  great  manifestation 
of  God's  power  and  sovereignty,  of  his  wisdom  and  glory. 
We  arrived  there  about  noon.  They  are  on  one  of  the  two 
branches  into  which  the  North  river  is  divided  up  above, 
of  almost  equal  size.  This  one  turns  to  the  west  out  of  the 
highland,  and  coming  here  finds  a  blue  rock  which  has  a 
steep  side,  as  long  as  the  river  is  broad,  which,  according 
to  my  calculation  is  two  hundred  paces  or  more,  aud  rather 
more  than  less,  and  about  one  hundred  feet  high.1  The 
river  has  more  water  at  one  time  than  another ;  and  was 
now  about  six  or  eight  feet  deep.  All  this  volume  of 
water  coming  on  this  side,  fell  headlong  upon  a  stony 
bottom,  this  distance  of  an  hundred  feet.  Any  one  may 
judge  whether  that  was  not  a  spectacle,  „and  whether  it 
would  not  make  a  noise.  There  is  a  continual  spray 
thrown  up  by  the  dashing  of  the  water,  and  when  the  sun 
shines  the  figure  of  a  rainbow  may  be  seen  through  it. 
Sometimes  there  are  two  or  three  of  them  to  be  seen,  one 
above  the  other,  according  to  the  brightness  of  the  sun 
and  its  parallax.  There  was  now  more  water  than  usual 
4  in  consequence  of  its  having  rained  hard  for  several  days, 
and  the  snow  water  having  begun  to  run  down  from  the 
high  land. 


1  Actual  measurement  makes  the  width  of  the  Cohoes,  nine  hundred  feet, 
the  total  descent  78  feet  and  the  perpendicular  fall  40. 


300 


TIIE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


On  our  return  we  stopped  at  the  house  of  our  guide, 
whom  we  had  taken  on  the  way  up,  where  there  were  some 
families  of  Indians  living.  Seeing  us,  they  said  to  each 
other,  "Look,  these  are  certainly  real  Dutchmen,  actual 
Hollanders."  Kobert  Sanders  asked  them,  how  they  knew 
it.  We  see  it,  they  said,  in  their  faces  and  in  their  dress. 
"Yes,"  said  one,  "they  have  the  clothes  of  real  Hol- 
landers ;  they  look  like  brothers."  They  brought  us  some 
ground  nuts,  but  although  the  Dutch  call  them  so,  they 
were  in  fact  potatoes,  for  of  ground  nuts,  or  mice  vnth  tails1 
there  are  also  plenty.  They  cooked  them,  and  gave  us 
some  to  eat,  which  we  did.  There  was  a  canoe  made  of 
the  bark  of  trees,  and  the  Indians  have  many  of  them  for 
the  purpose  of  making  their  journeys.  It  was  fifteen  or 
sixteen  feet  or- more  in  length.  It  was  so  light  that  two 
men  could  easily  carry  it,  as  the  Indians  do  in  going  from 
one  stream  or  lake  to  another.  They  come  in  such  canoes 
from  Canada,  and  from  places  so  distant  we  know  not 
where.  Four  or  five  of  them  stepped  into  this  one  and 
rowed  lustily  through  the  water  with  great  speed,  and 
when  they  came  back  with  the  current  they  seemed  to  fly. 
They  did  this  to  amuse  us  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Sanders. 
Leaving  there  forborne,  we  came  again  to  the  house  of  one 
Fredrick  Pie(ers,*where  we  had  stopped  in  riding  out.  He 
is  one  of  the  principal  men  of  Albany,  and  this  was  his 
farm;  he  possesses  good  information  and  judgment.  My 
comrade  had  some  conversation  with  him.  He  expected 
us,  and  now  entertained  us  well.  My  comrade  was  in  pain 
from  eating  the  ground  nuts.  On  arriving  home  in  the 
evening,  the  house  was  full  of  people,  attracted  there  out 
of  cui'iosity,  as  is  usually  the  case  in  small  towns,  where 
every  one  in  particular  knows  what  happens  in  the  whole 
place. 


1  Pea-nuts. 


SCHENECTADY.   A  HALF-BREED. 


301 


2-ith,  Wednesday.  My  comrade's  pain  continued  through 
the  night,  although  he  had  taken  his  usual  medicine, 
and  he  thought  he  would  become  better  by  riding  on 
horseback.  The  horses  were  got  ready,  and  we  left  about 
eight  o'clock  for  Schoonechtendecl,1  a  place  lying  about 
twenty-four  miles  west  or  north-west  of  Albany  towards 
the  country  of  the  Mohawks  (llaquaas).  We  rode  over  a 
fine,  sandy  cart  road  through  a  woods  of  nothing  but  beau- 
tiful evergreens  or  fir  trees,  but  a  light  and  barren  soil. 
My  companion  grew  worse  instead  of  better.  It  was  noon 
when  we  reached  there,  and  arrived  at  the  house  of  a  good 
friend  of  Robert  Sanders.  As  soon  as  we  entered  my  com- 
rade had  to  go  and  lie  down.  He  had  a  high  fever,  and 
was  covered  up  warm.  I  went  with  Sanders  to  one  Adam,2 
and  to  examine  the  flats  which  are  exceedingly  rich  land. 
I  spoke  to  several  persons  of  the  Christian  life,  each  one 
according  to  his  state  and  as  it  was  fit. 

25th,  Thursday.  We  had  thought  of  riding  a  little  further 
on,  and  so  back  to  Albany ;  but  my  comrade  was  too  sick, 
and  had  the  chills  and  fever  again.  The  weather,  too,  was 
windy  and  rainy.  We  concluded,  therefore,  to  postpone 
it  till  the  following  day ;  and  in  the  meantime  I  accompanied 
Sanders  to  the  before  mentioned  Adam's.  While  we  were 
there,  a  certain  Indian  woman,  or  half-breed,  that  is,  from 
an  European  and  an  Indian  woman,  came  with  a  little  boy, 
her  child,  who  was  dumb,  or  whose  tongue  had  grown 
fast.  It  was  about  four  years  old ;  she  had  heard  we  were 
there,  and  came  to  ask  whether  we  knew  of  any  advice  for 
her  child,  or  whether  we  could  not  do  a  little  something 
to  cure  it.  We  informed  her  we  were  not  doctors  or 
surgeons,  but  we  gave  her  our  opinion,  just  as  we  thought. 

1  This  seems  to  be  an  effort  to  transmute  the  Indian  name  of  Schenectady 
into  a  Dutch  word,  meaning  the  beautiful  portion. 

2  See  the  note  on  a  subsequent  page  in  relation  to  the  burning  of  Schenec- 
tady and  the  massacre  of  the  inhabitants  by  the  French  and  Indians. 


302 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


Sanders  told  me  aside  that  she  was  a  Christian,  that  is, 
had  left  the  Indians,  and  had  heen  taught  hy  the  Christian! 
and  baptized;  that  she  had  made  profession  of  the  reformed 
religion,  and  was  not  of  the  unjust.  Not  contenting 
myself  with  this  account,  and  observing  something  in  her 
that  pleased  me,  I  asked  her  to  relate  to  me  herself  how  it 
had  gone  w  ith  her  from  the  first  of  her  coming  to  Christ- 
endom, hoth  outwardly  and  inwardly.  Looking  at  me  she 
said,  "  How  glad  am  I  that  I  am  so  fortunate ;  that  God 
should  permit  me  to  hehold  such  Christians,  whom  I  have 
so  long  desired  to  see,  and  to  whom  I  may  speak  from  the 
bottom  of  my  heart  without  fear;  and  that  there  are  such 
Christians  in  the  world.  How  often  have  I  asked  myself, 
are  there  no  other  Christians  than  those  amongst  whom 
we  live,  who  are  so  godless  and  lead  worse  lives  than  the 
Indians,  and  yet  have  such  a  pure  and  holy  religion  ?  Now 
I  see  God  thinks  of  us,  and  has  sent  you  from  the  other 
end  of  the  world  to  speak  to  us."  She  had  heard  me  give 
reasons  to  the  others,  and  address  them  generally,  before  I 
made  this  request  of  her.  I  answered,  that  all  who  pro- 
fessed the  Christian  religion  did  not  live  as  that  religion 
required,  that  such  were  false  professors,  and  not  Christians, 
bearing  the  name  only,  but  denying  the  truth.  She  had 
said  all  this  with  a  tender  and  affectionate  heart,  and  with 
many  tears,  but  tears  which  you  felt  proceeded  from  the 
heart,  and  from  love  towards  God.  I  was  surprised  to  find 
so  far  in  the  woods,  and  among  Indians;  but  why  say 
among  Indians  ?  among  Christians  ten  times  worse  than 
Indians,  a  person  who  should  address  me  with  such  affection 
and  love  of  God ;  but  I  answered  and  comforted  her.  She 
then  related  to  me,  from  the  beginning,  her  case,  that 
is,  how  she  had  embraced  Christianity.  She  was  born  of 
a  Christian  father  and  an  Indian  mother,  of  the  Mohawk 
tribes.  Her  mother  remained  in  the  country,  and  lived 
among  the  Mohawks,  and  she  lived  with  her,  the  same  as 


A  DESIRE  TO  BE  A  CHRISTIAN. 


303 


Indians  live  together.  Her  mother  would  never  listen  to 
any  thing  about  the  Christians,  or  it  was  against  her  heart, 
from  an  inward,  unfounded  hate.  She  lived  then  with 
her  mother  and  brothers  and  sisters ;  but  sometimes  she 
went  with  her  mother  among  the  Christians  to  trade  and 
make  purchases,  or  the  Christians  came  among  them,  and 
thus  it  was  that  some  Christians  took  a  fancy  to  the  girl, 
discovering1  in  her  more  resemblance  to  the  Christians 
than  the  Indians,  but  understand,  more  like  the  Dutch, 
and  that  she  was  not  so  wild  as  the  other  children.  They, 
therefore,  wished  to  take  the  girl  and  bring  her  up,  which 
the  mother  would  not  hear  to,  and  as  this  request  was 
made  repeatedly,  she  said  she  would  rather  kill  her.  The 
little  daughter  herself  had  no  disposition  at  first  to  go ; 
and  the  mother  did  nothing  more  with  the  daughter,  than 
express  continually  her  detestation  and  abhorrence  of  the 
Christians.  This  happened  several  times,  when  the 
daughter  began  to  mistrust  the  Christians  were  not  such 
as  the  mother  told  her ;  the  more  so,  because  she  never  went 
among  them  without  being  well  treated,  and  obtaining 
something  or  other.  She,  therefore,  began  to  hearken  to 
them;  but  particularly  she  felt  a  great  inclination  and 
love  in  her  heart  towards  those  Christians  who  spoke  to  her 
about  God,  and  of  Christ  Jesus  and  the  Christian  religion. 
Her  mother  observed  it,  and  began  to  hate  her  and  not 
treat  her  as  well  as  she  had  done  before.  Her  brothers 
and  sisters  despised  and  cursed  her,  threw  stones  at  her, 
and  did  her  all  the  wrong  they  could ;  but  the  more  they 
abused  and  maltreated  her,  the  more  she  felt  something 
growing  in  her  that  attracted  and  impelled  her  towards  the 
Christians  and  their  doctrine,  until  her  mother  and  the 
others  could  endure  her  no  longer;  while  she,  feeling  her 
love  of  the  Christians,  and  especially  of  their  religion, 
which  she  called  their  doctrine,  to  increase  more  and  more, 
she  could  no  longer  live  with  the  Indians.     They  ceased 


304 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


not  seeking  to  wrong  ]ier,  and  compelled  her  to  leave 
them,  as  she  did,  and  went  to  those  who  had  so  long 
solicited  her.    They  gave  her  the  name  of  Ellk  or  llldic 
(Alice).     She  lived  a  long  time  with  a  woman,  with 
whom  we  conversed  afterwards,  who  taught  her  to  read 
and  write,  and  do  various  handiwork,  in  which  she  advanced 
so  greatly  that  everybody  was  astonished.    She  had  espe- 
cially a  great  desire  to  learn  to  read,  and  applied  herself  to 
that  end  day  and  night,  and  asked  others,  who  were  near 
her,  to  the  vexation  and  annoyance  of  the  other  maids,  who 
lived  with  her,  who  could  sometimes  with  difficulty  keep 
her  back.    But  that  did  not  restrain  her;  she  felt  such  an 
eagerness  and  desire  to  learn  that  she  could  not  be  with- 
held, particularly  when  she  began  to  understand  the  Dutch 
language,  and  what  was  expressed  in  the  New  Testament, 
where  her  whole  heart  was.     In  a  short  time,  therefore, 
she  understood  more  about  it  than  the  other  girls  with 
whom  she  conversed,  and  who  had  first  instructed  her, 
and,  particularly,  was  sensible  in  her  heart  of  its  truth. 
She  had  lived  with  different  people,  and  had  very  much 
improved ;  she  spoke  of  it  with  heart-felt  delight.  Finally, 
she  made  her  profession,  and  was  baptized.    Since  that 
time,  she  said,  the  love  she  felt  in  her  heart  had  not  di- 
minished, but  had  increased,  and  she  sighed  to  live  near 
Christians,  who  were  good  and  faithful,  and  lived  up  to 
their  religion.     Therefore  it  was,  that  she  was  so  glad  to 
see  us,  and  that  God,  who  had  so  loved  her  before,  still  so 
loved  her  as  to  permit  her  to  see  and  speak  to  us,  "  me,"  she 
said,  "  who  have  been  such  a  heathen."    I  told  her  that 
God  had  showed  her  still  more  love,  as  she  well  knew. 
She  believed  it,  she  said,  melting  into  tears,  but  she  could 
not  express  her  heart.    "  Might  I  only  live  with  such 
people,  how  would  my  heart  do  good."    "Blessed  are 
they  who  hunger  and  thirst  after  righteousness,  for  they 
shall  be  satisfied,"  I  repeated  to  her,  and  further  expressed 


WOUTEE,  A  MOHAWK  CONVERT. 


305 


what  was  necessary.  "  How  many  times,"  said  she,  "  have 
I  grieved  over  these  Christians,  not  daring  to  speak  ont 
my  heart  to  any  one,  for  when  I  would  sometimes  rebuke 
them  a  little  for  their  evil  lives,  drunkenness,  and  foul  and 
godless  language,  they  would  immediately  say  ■  '  Well, 
how  is  this,  there  is  a  sow  converted.  Run,  boys,  to  the 
brewer's,  and  bring  some  swill  for  a  converted  sow,'  words 
which  went  through  my  heart,  made  me  sorrowful  and 
closed  my  mouth.  But  I  see  that  God  still  thinks  of  me 
and  loves  me,  now  that  he  causes  me  to  see  and  converse 
with  such  people  as  you."  We  told  her  she  must  so  much 
the  more  receive  with  love  and  affection  what  we  said  to 
her,  out  of  regard  to  God  and  her  soul.  "  Oh  !  "  said  she, 
"  what  you  have  told  me  is  as  dear  to  me  as  my  heart," 
and  she  spoke  with  such  feeling  and  tenderness,  such 
depth  of  love,  that  I  cannot  describe  it,  and  it  affected  me. 
Yes,  she  expressed  to  me  more  reality  of  the  truth  of 
Christianity,  through  the  emotions  of  her  heart,  although  in 
language  according  to  the  genius  of  the  person,  which, 
nevertheless,  was  nothing  but  loving  —  more,  I  said,  than  any 
one,  whether  minister  or  other  person,  in  all  New  Nether- 
land.  She  had  a  brother  who  was  also  a  half-breed,  who- 
had  made  profession  of  Christianity,  and  had  been  bap- 
tized, and  who  was  not  by  far  as  good  as  she,  but,  on  the 
contrary,  very  wicked ;  though,  I  believe,  he  has  been 
better,  and  has  been  corrupted  by  the  conversation  of 
impious  Hollanders ;  for  this  place  is  a  godless  one,  being 
without  a  minister,  and  having  only  a  homily  (postyl)  read, 
on  Sundays.  He  was  married,  and  so  was  she.  She  has 
some  children;  her  husband  is  not  as  good  as  she  is, 
though  he  is  not  one  of  the  worst;  she  sets  a  good  example 
before  him,  and  knows  how  to  direct  him. 

She  has  a  nephew,  a  full  blooded  Mohawk,  named 
Woutcr  (Walter).    The  Lord  has  also  touched  him,  through 
her  instrumentality.    Wouter  speaks  no  Dutch,  or  very 
39 


:;im; 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


little.     Pie  has  abandoned  all  the  Indians,  and  his  Indian 
friends  and  relations,  and  lives  with  his  uncle,  the  brother 
of  Illetie.    He  has  betaken  himself  entirely  to  the  Christ- 
ians and  dresses  like  them.    Jle  has  Buffered  much  from 
the  other  Indians  and  his  friends.    He  has  such  a  love  and 
comprehension  of  God,  such  reverence  and  humility  towards 
him  and  what  is  godly,  that  it  is  a  joy  to  hear  him  speak. 
His  thoughts  are  occupied  night  and  day  with  God  and 
Jesus  Christ,  wondering  about  God  and  his  mercy,  that  he 
should  cause  him  to  know  him,  to  comprehend  him  and  to 
serve  him.    He  is  endeavoring  to  learn  the  Dutch  language, 
so  as  to  be  instructed  in  Christianity,  and  to  be  among 
good  Christians  who  live  like  Christians.    That  was  all 
his  desire,  thinking  all  the  time  about  it,  speaking  always 
with  Illetie  about  it,  who  assisted  and  instructed  him  as 
much  as  she  could,  and  always  with  love,  with  which  God 
much  blessed  her.    His  uncle,  with  whom  he  lived,  was 
covetous,  and  kept  him  only  because  he  was  profitable 
to  him  in  hunting  beaver.    He,  therefore,  would  hardly 
speak  a  word  of  Dutch  to  him,  in  order  that  he  might 
not  be  able  to  leave  him  too  soon,  and  go  among  the 
Christians  and  under  Christianity.    He  sent  him  to  the 
woods  and  among  the  Indians,  for  the  sake  of  the  devilish 
profit   of  the   world— these  are  the  words  of  Robert 
Sanders,  and  Illetie  said  not  much  less ;  yet  this  poor 
creature  has,  nevertheless,  such  a  great  inclination  and 
longing  after  Christianity. 

Besides  this  inward  desire,  propensity  and  feeling,  God, 
the  Lord,  has  given  him  outward  proofs  of  his  love  and 
protection,  and  among  other  instances  I  will  relate  these 
two  which  I  well  remember.  It  happened  once  that  his 
uncle  went  out  a  shooting  with  him  in  the  woods,  when 
the  uncle  began  to  sneer  at  him,  saying,  that  he,  a  mere 
stupid  Indian,  could  not  shoot,  but  a  Christian  was  a  different 
character  and  was   expert  and  handy :  that  he,  Wouter, 


THE  INDIAN  HUNTER'S  PRAYER. 


307 


would  not  shoot  any  thing  that  day,  but  he  himself  would 
have  a  good  hunt.  To  which  Wouter  replied;  "  it  is  well, 
I  cannot  help  it;  I  will  have  whatever  God  sends  me." 
Upon  this  they  separated  from  each  other  in  the  woods, 
and  each  went  where  he  thought  best.  "  Now  when  I  was 
tired  out,"  said  Wouter,  for  we  heard  it  from  him  himself, 
as  well  as  from  his  aunt,  "  and  had  traveled  and  hunted 
the  whole  day  without  finding  any  game,  with  the  evening 
approaching,  grieved  that  I  had  shot  nothing  and  troubled 
at  the  reproach  of  my  uncle,  my  heart  looked  up  to  God  ; 
I  fell  upon  my  knees  and  .prayed  to  him,  that  although  I 
was  no  Christian  (he  meant  baptized),  I  loved  God,  and 
only  longed  to  learn  the  language  in  order  to  be  instructed 
in  Christianity,  and  would  receive  it  with  my  whole  heart ; 
that  God  would  be  pleased  to  send  to  me  a  wild  animal  to 
shoot,  so  that  the  slur,  which  my  uncle  had  thrown  upon 
me,  might  be  wiped  off."  While  thus  down  on  his  knees, 
with  his  hat  hanging  upon  a  bough  which  was  bent  down,1 
his  prayer  not  finished,  there  comes  and  stands  before  him 
a  very  young  deer,  not  twenty  paces  off;  it  com  es  softly 
up  to  him;  his  gun  rests  along  side  of  him  loaded;  he 
takes  aim,  shoots,  and  hits,  the  deer  in  the  breast,  and  the 
creature  drops  before  him  on  its  two  fore  feet  and  there 
remains.  Without  going  to  the  deer,  he  thanks  God  upon 
his  knees  that  he  had  heard  his  prayer  and  had  turned 
back  the  reproach.  "  Oh,"  said  he,  "  now  do  I  know 
there  is  a  God,  who  is  in  the  woods  also,  and  hears,  loves 
and  thinks  of  me  there."  He  comes  to  the  deer,  which 
is  a  young  buck  two  or  three  years  old,  as  fat  and  beau- 
tiful as  he  had  ever  seen  in  his  life,  and  takes  it  upon  his 
shoulders  and  goes  with  joy  to  his  uncle,  whom  he  found, 


'Mcthinks  he  was  moved  by  seeing  this  bended  branch,  to  bend  himself 
before  God,  and,  therefore,  hung  his  hat  upon  it ;  though  I  dare  not  so 
aflirin  certainly. —  Note  of  the  journalist. 


308 


THE  HUDBOU  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


and  asked  where  was  his  good  hunt  and  the  game  he  had 
shot.    His  uncle  was  angry  and  spoke  angrily,  saying  he  had 
been  going  the  whole  day,  tired  and  weary,  without  seeing 
or  shooting  any  thing,  and  had  come  there  to  look  after 
chestnuts.    "That  is  well,  that  is  good,"  said  Wouter, 
"  reproach  the  Indians  no  more  for  not  being  good  shooters. 
Look  at  what  God  has  given  me  upon  my  prayer;"  for 
he  was  very  glad  at  what  had  occurred.    The  uncle  stood 
and  looked,  and  knew  not  what  to  say,  being  ashamed  at 
what  he  heard  and  saw,  and  of  himself.    Wouter  said 
further;  "I  know  there  has  been  no  wild  animal  round 
about  here,  for  I  have  explored  the  whole  place,  far  and 
near,  without  being  able  to  discover  any;  and  now  in  so 
short  a  time  this  one  presented  itself  before  me,  and  it  is, 
therefore,  certain  that  God  placed  it  there  or  caused  it  to 
come  there.    I  have  no  doubt  of  it."    Although  the  uncle 
was  ashamed,  he  was  not  much  affected  by  the  circum- 
stance, and  still  less  humiliated  or  improved.    But  Elletie 
had  taken  it  strongly  to  heart,  and  when  they  both  told  it  to 
us,  we  were  affected  by  it  ourselves,  and  saw  God  in  it  more 
than  he  had  done. 

Another  occasion  was  during  the  last  harvest,  in  the 
year  1679,  while  he  was  out  in  the  woods  hunting  beavers. 
He  had  then  had  a  successful  time  and  had  killed  some 
beavers,  the  flesh  of  which  he  used  for  food,  and  had 
nothing  else  to  eat.  The  flesh  of  the  beaver,  although  we 
never  relished  it,  is  esteemed  by  others  a  great  delicacy. 
Nevertheless,  as  we  have  been  told  by  those  who  are  well 
acquainted  with  it,  it  is  a  kind  of  food  with  which  they 
soon  become  satiated.  He  also  became  tired  of  it ;  and 
not  having  any  thing  else  became  sad.  He  felt  his  heart 
boil  — this  is  his  own  expression,  and  fell  down  upon  his 
knees  and  prayed  that  God  who  had  heard  him  before, 
might  be  pleased  now  again  to  hear  him  and  give  him 
other  food,  not  so  much  to  satisfy  him,  as  to  show  that  he 


A  FIGURATIVE  BUSH. 


309 


was  God  and  loved  him  —  a  God  whom  the  Indians  did 
not  know,  hut  for  whom  he  felt  he  had  a  greater  hunger 
than  his  hunger  for  outward  food,  or  for  what  the  Indians 
usually  were  satisfied  with,  which  is  beaver  and  heaver 
meat,  that  is,  to  hunt  successfully  and  trade  the  skins, 
which  is  all  they  go  out  hunting  for ;  hut  that  he  felt  some- 
thing else,  a  hunger  which  could  not  be  satisfied  with  this 
food  and  such  like ;  that  he  felt  more  hunger  after  other 
food  than  what  the  Indians  satisfied  themselves  with ;  and 
sought  to  be  a  Christian,  and  no  longer  to  be  an  Indian. 

While  in  the  midst  of  his  prayer,  there  stood  a  fine 
deer  before  him,  which  he  aimed  at  and  felled  at  one 
shot.  He  quickly  loaded  his  gun  again,  and  had  scarcely 
done  so,  when  he  saw  close  to  him  a  young  buffalo.1  He 
levelled  his  gun  and  brought  it  down ;  but  on  running  up 
to  it,  he  came  to  himself  his  heart  was  disturbed,  and  he 
became  anxious  and  ashamed  in  considering  his  covetous- 
ness;  that  he  had  not  thanked  God  for  the  first  small 
animal,  so  that  he  could  go  no  further  from  joy  and  fear. 
He  fell  upon  his  knees  before  God,  in  great  humility, 
shame,  and  reverence,  confessing  his  fault  and  his  want  of 
gratitude,  praying  God  to  forgive  him,  and  thanking  him 
now  for  both ;  saying  that  through  his  unthankfulness  for  the 
first  one,  he  was  not  worthy  to  have  the  second  and  larger  one. 

This  may  be  believed  as  the  true  meaning  and  almost 
the  very  words  of  the  Indian,  for  they  were  repeated  to  us 
from  him  in  his  presence,  Illetie,  who  first  told  us,  inter- 
preting after  him  in  the  presence  of  five  or  six  persons  who 
were  well  versed  in  the  Mohawk  language,  and  bore 
testimony  that  he  said  what  she  interpreted,  and  that  it 
was  not  enlarged.  . 


1  There  is  nothing  in  this  statement  inconsistent  with  the  fact  that  the 
buffalo  is  not  now  to  be  found  in  this  state.  Vanderdonk  says,  buffaloes 
were  plenty  when  he  wrote,  twenty-five  years  before  the  date  in  the  text, 
and  it  is  not  probable  they  had  all  disappeared  in  that  brief  interval. 


310 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


Thus  continuing  to  long  after  something  which  he  did 
not  have,  and  being  yet  in  the  woods  returning  home, 
he  came  to  a  bush  which  was  growing  in  the  shape 
of  a  man's  hand,  and  which  he  stopped  to  look  at  and 
speculate  upon.    He  wondered  at  it,  and  his  heart  was 
disturbed  and  began  to  bml.    He  fell  down  upon  his  knees 
by  the  bush  striking  his  hands  into  it,  and  prayed  :  Oh 
God  !  you  cause  to  come  before  me  a  sign  or  image  of 
what  I  want  and  for  which  I  hunger  and  long.    It  is  true 
I  have  two  hands  with  which  I  hunt  and  shoot  and  do 
other  things,  but  I  feel  I  still  require  a  hand  to  help  me, 
more  serviceable  than  those  I  have  and  use,  and  stronger 
and  wiser  than  mine.    I  am  in  want  of  a  third  hand.  It 
is  true  I  have  forsaken  the  Indians  and  have  come  among 
Christians,  but  this  cannot  help  me  unless  a  third  power 
make  me  a  true  Christian,  and  enable  me  to  learn  the 
language,  that  I  may  inquire,  read  and  enter  into  the 
grounds  of  Christianity."    This  he  did  with  great  tender- 
ness and  love;  and  being  so  much  affected,  he  cut  off 
the  bush  and  took  it  with  him  in  remembrance  of  his  feel- 
ings and  the  outpouring  of  his  heart  to  God,  more  than  for 
the  rarity  of  the  figure  in  which  it  had  grown.    This  stick 
or  bush  we  have  seen  ourselves  and  had  in  our  hands.  He 
presented  it  to  Robert  Sanders,  who  carried  it  to  Albany. 

His  aunt,  Illetie,  had  taught  him  as  well  as  she  could, 
bow  he  must  pray,  which  she  recommended  to  him  to  do' 
every  time  he  returned  home,  morning  or  evening,  or  on 
any  other  occasion  which  might  happen  to  him,  which  he 
always  did  with  concern  and  anxiety  of  heart.  He  always 
rejoiced  at  the  proofs  of  God's  [care]  over  him,  and  was 
sorry  that  he  could  not  improve  them,  hoping  and  believ- 
ing that  God  would  yet  give  him  what  he  still  wanted 
and  hungered  after.  I  asked  Illetie,  who  first  told  me  all 
this,  why  they  did  not  take  him  to  some  place,  where  he 
could  learn  the  language,  and  some  handiwork,  with  read- 


WOUTER  TO  GO  TO  WIEWERD. 


311 


ing  and  writing  and  the  like,  and  especially  where  he  might 
he  brought  to  the  knowledge  and  practice  of  Christianity. 
She  said  there  were  two  impediments,  first  his  uncle,  whom 
we  have  mentioned,  who  only  kept  him  as  a  kind  of 
servant,  such  as  the  English  have,  for  the  sake  of  vile  gain  ; 
and,  although  he  was  free,  and  hound  to  nobody,  would 
never  speak  a  word  of  Dutch  to  him,  so  that  he  might  not 
lose  him.  The  other  difficulty  was,  that  as  he  was  of  age, 
24  or  26  years  old,  or  thereabouts,  no  one  would  receive 
him  for  his  board  and  clothing,  fearful  he  would  not  learn 
the  one  or  other  handiwork,  and  would,  therefore,  be  a  loss 
to  them.  Whereupon  I  said  if  he  would  go  with  us  we 
would  give  him  board  and  clothing  for  all  his  life,  and  he 
should  never  be  our  servant  or  slave,  and  would  be  free 
and  clear  of  all  obligation ;  and  if  God  should  give  him 
farther  the  grace  he  would  be  our  brother  and  as  free  as 
we  were.  "  Oh,"  said  she,  "  how  happy  he  would  be  if  he 
should  be  so  fortunate,  and  God  so  honored  him,  as  I  must 
shame  myself  for  the  honor  and  happiness  he  causes  me  in 
enabling  me  to  speak  with  you  about  these  things."  I 
spoke  to  her  further  what  I  thought  would  serve  for  her 
edification  and  consolation ;  and  told  her  as  my  comrade 
was  sick  and  not  able  to  go  out,  and  weather  was  too  rainy, 
she  must  come  to  us  in  the  evening,  and  bring  Wouter 
with  her,  that  we  might  see  him,  and  converse  with  him. 

I  thereupon  went  home  and  told  my  comrade  my  adven- 
ture, who  was  rejoiced  at  it,  and  would  expect  her  in  the 
evening.  Meanwhile  he  had  become  stronger.  The  parish 
reader  (voorleser  van  de  plaeis),  who  is  the  son  of  minister 
Sckaets,  came  to  visit  my  comrade,  and  said  he  had  heard 
of  us,  and  had  been  desirous  to  converse  with  us.  He  was 
a  little  conceited,  but  my  comrade  having  heard  that  he 
was  the  voorleser,  gave  him  a  good  lesson,  at  which  he  was 
not  badly  content,  and  with  which  he  went  away. 

When  evening  came,  so  came  Illetie  with  her  husband, 


312 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


and  Wouter,  and  Adam  and  his  wife,  with  two  or  three 
others  besides.    We  conversed  together  through  Illetie, 
who  interpreted  to  him  from  us,  and  to  us  from  him,  and 
he  himself  repeated  all  that  Dletie  had  told  me,  as  before 
related.    We  spoke  to  him  from  the  bottom  of  our  hearts, 
and  he  to  us  from  the  bottom  of  his  heart  and  out  of  love' 
to  us.    We  exhorted,  encouraged  and  comforted  him  as 
much  as  he  required,  and  his  condition  would  permit.  lie 
thanked  us  with  tenderness,  that  God  had  vouchsafed  to 
cause  him  to  see  and  speak  with  true  Christians,  with 
people  whom  he  had  so  longed  for,  and  with  whom  he 
wished  to  spend  his  life.    «  What  would  you  be  willing  to 
give  to  do  so,"  my  comrade  asked.    Oh,  said  he,  all  that  I 
have  in  the  world,  and  more  if  I  had  it,  or  it  were  in  my 
power.    We  told  him  he  must  leave  it  to  God's  liberty, 
who  would  do  what  he  pleased,  would  hear  him,  and  re- 
lease him  when  his  time  should  come.    After  several 
episodes,  we  inquired  of  him  what  was  his  greatest  wish 
and  desire,  his  greatest  hunger  and  strongest  longing.    "  I 
know  not  justly  what  it  is,"  he  replied,  "  but  I  am°like  a 
person  who  has  three  knives  or  some  other  articles  which 
are  valuable,  useful  and  necessary,  but  has  lost  the  one  he 
has  most  need  of,  or  is  the  most  serviceable  and  necessary, 
and  without  which  the  others  are  of  little  service.    Thus  I 
have  forsaken  my  relatives,  and  all  my  friends,  my  nation 
and  country,  which  is  good,  and  that  is  one  of  the  articles. 
Moreover,  I  have  come  among  Christians,  and  Dutch,  and 
begun  to  know  something  of  God,  and  that  also  is  good, 
and  is  the  second  one.    I3ut  I  am  wanting  something 
more  than  these,  and  without  which  they  are  of  no  service 
to  me,  namely,  a  knowledge  of  the  Dutch  language,  ability 
to  enter  into  the  grounds  of  Christianity,  and  become  a 
good  Christian."  We  encouraged  him,  and  assured  him  of 
the  way  of  the  Lord,  that  God  would  hear  his  prayer,  and 
fulfill  his  desire,  according  to  the  words  of  the  Lord  Jesus  • 


DEPARTURE  FROM  SCHENECTADY.  313 

"  Blessed  are  they  who  hunger  and  thirst  after  righteous- 
ness, for  they  shall  be  satisfied."  "  Oh,"  said  he  to  Illetie, 
"  how  I  love  people  who  speak  so  kindly  and  mildly,  and 
know  how  to  utter  such  sweet  and  beautiful  comparisons. 
Oh,  what  love  I  have  for  them !  " 

After  we  had  addressed  him  and  her,  earnestly  and  in 
love  ;  and  also  the  bystanders,  to  their  shame  and  convic- 
tion, for  their  godless  lives,  whereby  they  repelled  the 
heathen  and  wronged  such  as  begun  to  be  drawn  [to  God] 
like  these,  and  as  having  a  terrible  judgment  to  expect  which 
they  could  not  escape,  Illetie,  said,  yes,  there  were  many  Mo- 
hawk Indians,  who,  if  they  were  taught,  as  they  seek  to 
be,  and  had  good  examples  set  before  them  by  the  Chris- 
tians, by  their  lives,  and  were  not  so  deceived  and  cheated 
by  the  Christians  who  ought  to  assist  them,  would  listen  ; 
but  now  they  were  repulsed,  and  the  Jesuits  who  were 
among  them,  and  whom  Wouter  had  heard  preach  several 
times  in  his  own  language,  corrupted  them  all.  Having 
said  all  that  was  proper  to  them  at  this  time,  we  invoked 
upon  them  the  blessing  of  God. 

26th,  Friday.  Wouter  was  early  at  our  house,  in  order  to 
assist  in  getting  the  horses  ready.  My  comi'ade  finding 
himself  better,  but  still  weak,  we  determined  to  leave,  two 
of  us  on  horseback  and  he  in  a  wagon  belonging  at 
Albany,  which  we  had  the  good  fortune  of  meeting  at 
Schooncchtcn,  and  in  which  he  could  ride  over  a  very  com- 
fortable road.  It  had  frozen  quite  hard  during  the  night, 
but  when  the  sun  rose  a  little,  it  became  warm  enough, 
especially  in  the  woods,  where  the  wind,  which  was  north- 
west, could  not  blow  through.  I  went  to  take  my  leave  of 
several  persons  with  whom  I  had  conversed,  and  also  of 
Illetie,  consoling  and  strengthening  her  once  more  and 
committing  her  to  God  and  his  grace,  and  she  leaving  us 
with  tenderness  and  many  tears.  At  a  place  where  we 
were  taking  our  leave,  the  uncle  of  Wouter  had  come,  who 
40 


314  THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 

commenced  saying  in  very  good  Dutch  :    "  Well,  gentle- 
men, I  understand  Wouter  is  going  to  Holland  with  you." 
We  answered,  we  did  not  know  it,  nor  had  we  thought  of 
it,  hut  nevertheless,  our  hearts  were  good  and  tender 
enough  to  help  him,  hoth  hody  and  soul,  in  whatever  the 
Lord  had  wrought  in  him,  or  should  work  in  him,  as  far 
as  we  could,  which  we  considered  to  be  our  duty,  and  not 
only  our  duty,  but  the.  duty  of  all  Christians.     If  he 
wished  to  go  to  Holland)  we  would  not  prevent  him, 
because  any  person  who  is  free,  may  go  there  if  he 
chooses  ;  and  if  he  wished  to  go  with  us  in  the  same  ship 
in  which  we  should  go  over,  he  was  free  and  might  act  his 
mind  ;  yes,  if  he  wished  to  be  in  our  company  we  would 
not  be  able  to  hinder  him,  and  while  he  was  free  no  one 
could  prevent  him,  or  ought  to,  but  on  the  other  hand 
should  aid  him ;  especially  as  all  who  bore  the  name  of 
Christians  ought  to  assist  in  bringing  to  Christ  any  one 
who  hungered  and  thirsted  after  him  as  Wouter  did. 
Well,  he  asked,  without  any  feeling,  what  trade  would  you 
teach  him.    Whatever  God  wished,  we  answered.    And  if 
he  should  be  taken  by  the  Turks,  he  continued,  who 
would  be  his  security,  and  who  would  redeem  him.  Well, 
we  asked,  if  we  were  taken  by  the  Turks  who  would  be 
our  security  and  redeem  us  ?    God  gives  no  security  and 
makes  no  agreement.    Whoever  wishes  to  be  a  Christian 
must  believe  and  trust  in  him,  and  follow  him  in  faith, 
and  so  must  you,  and  I,  and  every  one,  who  wishes  to  be 
a  Christian.     Some  hard  words  passed  also  between 
Robert  Sanders  and  him,  about  something  relating  to  him- 
self, namely,  that  Sanders  had  said  the  uncle  only  sought  to 
keep  Wouter,  on  account  of  the  profit  to  him.    As  the 
time  called  us  to  depart,  we  took  our  leave  and  left  him 
standing  there  abashed.    Having  mounted  our  horses  and 
entered  the  wagon,  we  rode  from  there  about  ten  o'clock, 
over  a  smooth  sandy  road,  and  amved  at  half-past  three  at 


SCHENECTADY. 


315 


Albany,  or  Fort  Orange,  where  Sanders's  wife  was  glad  to  see 
us,  and  where  we  were  well  received  by  his  whole  family. 

This  Schoonechtendeel,  is  situated,  as  we  have  said,  twenty- 
four  miles  west  of  Fort  Albany,  toward  the  country  of  the 
Mohawks,  upon  a  good  flat,  high  enough  to  be  free  from 
the  overflowing  of  the  water  of  the  river,  which  sometimes 
overflows  their  cultivated  lands  which  lie  much  lower. 
Their  cultivated  lands  are  not  what  they  call  in  that  coun- 
try valleyen,  but  large  flats,  between  the  hills,  on  the  mar- 
gin, or  along  the  side  of  the  rivers,  brooks  or  creeks,  very 
flat  and  level,  without  a- single  tree  or  bush  upon  them,  of 
a  black  sandy  soil  which  is  four  and  sometimes  five  or  six 
feet  deep,  but  sometimes  less,  which  can  hardly  be  ex- 
hausted. They  cultivate  it  year  after  year,  without 
manure,  for  many  years.  It  yields  large  crops  of  wheat, 
but  not  so  good  as  that  raised  in  the  wood  land  around  the 
city  of  New  York  and  elsewhere,  nor  so  productively,  but 
it  makes  white  flour.  The  wheat  which  comes  from  this 
place,  the  Hysopus  and  some  other  places  is  a  little  blue. 
Much  of  the  plant  called  dragon's  blood,  grows  about  here, 
and  also  yearly  a  kind  of  small  lemon  or  citron,  of  which 
a  single  one  grows  upon  a  bush.  This  bush  grows  about 
five  feet  high,  and  the  fruit  cannot  be  distinguished  from 
any  other  citron  in  form,  color,  taste  or  quality.  It  grows 
wild  about  the  city  of  New  York,  but  not  well.  I  have 
not  heard  of  its  growing  in  any  other  places. 

The  village  proper  of  Schenectady,  is  a  square,  set  off  by 
palisades.  There  may  be  about  thirty  houses  which  are 
situated  on  the  side  of  the  Mohawk  river  (Maquas  Ml),  a  stream 
they  cannot  use  for  carrying  goods  up  or  down  in  yachts 
or  boats.1    There  are  no  fish  in  it  except  trout,  sunfish 


1  Charlevoix,  corroborating  the  above  description,  describes.Schenectady 
as  being  in  the  form  of  a  long  square  and  entered  by  two  gates.  This  was 
at  the  time  of  the  surprise  and  massacre  of  its  inhabitants  by  a  party  of 
French  and  Indians  in  February,  1690.—  NowceUe  France,  II,  45.  Sixty- 


31G 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


and  other  kinds  peculiar  to  rivers,  because  the  Cahoos 
stops  the  ascent  of  others,  which  is  a  great  inconvenience 
for  the  menage  and  for  bringing  down  the  produce. 

As  soon  as  we  arrived  in  Albany  we  went  to  our  skipper 
Meus  Hoofjhboom.,  to  inquire  when  he  was  going  to  the  city. 
He  said  to-morrow,  but  he  said  he  would  come  and  notify 
us  of  the  time.  We  saw  it  would  run  on  a  much  longer 
time,  as  it  usually  does  in  these  parts. 

27th,  Saturday*  We  went  to  call  upon  a  certain  Madam 
Rcnlsclaer,  widow  of  the  Heer  Rentsclaer,  son  of  the  founder 


three  of  the  inhabitants,  including  Domine  Tessemaker,  were  murdered  on 
that  occasion,  in  cold  blood,  while  they  were  sleeping  in  their  beds,  and 
twenty-seven  were  carried  into  captivity.—  (JolderCs  Five  Nation*,  115. 
Schenectady  is  said  to  be  an  Indian  name,  signifying  in  the  Mohawk  dia- 
lect, beyond  the  pine  plains;  it  was  also  called  Corlaer  after  one  of  the 
early  settlers.    From  the  circumstance  that  our  journalists  were  in  com- 
pany with  Mr.  Robert  Sanders,  who  took  them  to  the  most  considerable 
persons  of  the  place,  we  are  inclined  to  believe  that  the  resident  named 
Adam,  at  whose  house  they  metllletic  and  Wouter,  was  Adam  Vrooman, 
of  whom  we  have  the  following  account  on  the  occasion  of  the  massacre:' 
"  To  some  of  the  inhabitants  this  assault  was  not  altogether  unexpected, 
and  they  had  for  some  time  previously  taken  the  necessary  precautions  to' 
prevent  surprise.    Among  those  who  made  a  successful  defense,  and  kept 
the  foe  at  bay  was  Adam  Vrooman.    Being  well  supplied  with  ammuni- 
tion and  trusting  to  the  strength  of  his  building,  which  was  a  sort  of  fort, 
he  formed  the  desperate  resolution  to  defend  himself  to  the  last  extremity ;' 
and  if  it  should  prove  to  be  his  fate  to  perish  in  the  flames  of  his  own 
domicil,  to  sell  his  own  life  and  that  of  his  children  as  dearly  as  possible. 
His  house  was  soon  filled  with  smoke;  his  wife,  nearly  suffocated  with  it, 
cautiously  yet  imprudently  placed  the  door  ajar.    This,  an  alert  Indian 
perceived,  and  firing  through  the  aperture  killed  her.    In  the  meantime 
one  of  his  daughters  escaped  through  the  back  hall  door  with  his  infant  in 
her  arms.    They  snatched  the  little  innocent  from  her  arms,  and  dashed 
out  its  brains ;  and,  in  the  confusion  tjf  the  scene,  the  girl  escaped.  Their 
triumph  here,  was,  however,  of  short  duration.    Mr.  Vrooman  succeeded 
in  securely  bolting  the  door,  and  preventing  the  intrusion  of  the  enemy 
On  witnessing  Mr.  Vrooman's  courage,  the  enemy  promised,  if  he  would 
desist,  to  save  his  life,  and  not  set  fire  to  his  building.    This  promise  they 
fulfilled,  but  carried  off  two  of  his  sons  in  captivity."-  Yates,  in  Dunlap's 
New  York,  1, 176-7.    See  ante,  p.  301. 


MADAME  VAN  RENSSELAER. 


317 


of  the  colony  of  Rentselaerswyck,  comprising  twelve  miles 
square  from  Fort  Orange,  that  is,  twenty-four  miles  square 
in  all.  She  is  in  possession  of  the  place,  and  administers 
it  as  patronesse,  until  one  Richard  Van  Rentselaer,  residing 
at  Amsterdam,  shall  arrive  in  the  country,  whom  she 
expected  in  the  summer,  when  he  would  assume  the 
management  of  it  himself.  This  lady  was  polite,  quite  well 
informed,  and  of  good  life  and  disposition.  She  had  ex- 
perienced several  proofs  of  the  Lord.  The  breaking  up  of 
the  ice  had  once  carried  away  her  mansion,  and  every 
thing  connected  with  it,  of  which  place  she  had  made  too 
much  account.  Also,  in  some  visitations  of  her  husband, 
death,  and  others  before.  In  her  last  child-bed,  she  became 
lame  or  weak  in  both  of  her  sides,  so  that  she  had  to  walk 
with  two  canes  or  crutches.  In  all  these  trials,  she  had 
borne  herself  well,  and  God  "  left  not  himself  without 
witness  "  in  her.  She  treated  us  kindly,  and  we  eat  here 
exceedingly  good  pike,  perch  and  other  fish,  which  now 
began  to  come  and  be  caught  in  great  numbers.  We  had 
several  conversations  with  her  about  the  truth,  and  prac- 
tical religion,  mutually  satisfactory.  We  went  to  look  at 
several  of  her  mills  at  work,  which  she  had  there  on  an 
ever-running  stream,  grist-mills,  saw-mills  and  others. 
One  of  the  grist-mills  can  grind  120  schepels1  of  meal  in 
twenty-four  hours,  that  is  five  an  hour.'  Returning  to  the 
house,  we  politely  took  our  leave.  Her  residence  is  about 
a  quarter  of  an  hour  from  Albany  up  the  river. 

28th,  Sunday.  We  went  to  church  in  the  morning,  and 
heard  Domine  Schaats  preach,  who,  although  he  is  a  poor, 
old,  ignorant  person,  and,  besides  is  not  of  good  life,  yet 
had  to  give  utterance  to  his  passion,  having  for  his  text, 
"whatever  is  taken  upon  us,"  &c,  at  which  many  of  his 
auditors,  who  knew  us  better,  were  not  well  pleased,  and 


1  One  hundred  and  forty-four  bushels. 


318 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


in  order  to  show  their  condemnation  of  it,  laughed  and 
derided  him,  which  we  corrected. 

In  the  afternoon,  we  took  a  walk  to  an  island  upon  the 
end  of  which  there  is  a  fort  built,  they  say,  by  the  Spa- 
niards. That  a  fort  has  been  there  is  evident  enough  from 
the  earth  thrown  up,  but  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  the 
Spaniards  came  so  far  inland  to  build  forts,  when  there  are 
no  monuments  of  them  to  be  seen  down  on  the  sea  coasts, 
where,  however,  they  have  been  according  to  the  traditions 
of  the  Indians.  This  spot  is  a  short  hour's  distance  below 
Albany,  on  the  west  side  of  the  river. 

29th,  Monday.  We  should  have  left  to-day,  but  our  skip- 
per said  he  could  not  obtain  his  passport.  We  called  upon 
several  persons,  and  among  others,  upon  the  woman  who 
had  brought  up  Illetie,  the  Indian  woman,  and  had  first 
taken  her  from  the  Indians,  and  to  whom  we  have  alluded 
before.  This  woman,  although  not  of  openly  godless  life, 
is  more  wise  than  devout,  although  her  knowledge  is  not 
very  extensive,  and  does  not  surpass  that  of  the  women  of 
New  Netherland.  She  is  a  truly  worldly  woman,  proud 
and  conceited,  and  sharp  in  trading  with  wild1  people,  as 
well  as  tame  ones,  or  what  shall  I  call  them,  not  to  give 
them  the  name  of  Christians,  or  if  I  do,  it  is  only  to  dis- 
tinguish them  from  the  others.  This  trading  is  not  carried 
on  without  fraud,.and  she  is  not  free  from  it,  as  I  after- 
wards observed.  She  has  a  husband,  which  is  her  second 
one,  who  is  a  papist,  I  believe.  He  remains  at  home 
quietly,  while  she  travels  over  the  country  to  carry  on  the 
trading.  In  fine  she  is  one  of  the  Dutch  female  traders, 
who  understand  the  business  so  well.  If  these  be  the 
persons  who  are  to  make  Christians  of  the  heathen,  what 


1  Wild  is  the  term  used  in  the  Dutch  language  to  denote  an  Indian,  in 
the  same  sense  as  we  use  the  word  savage.  So  understood,  the  play  upon 
the  words  wild  and  tame  in  the  place  in  the  text,  is  the  same  both  in  Eng- 
lish and  Dutch. 


ALBANY  OR  THE  FUYCE. 


319 


will  the  latter  be  ?  But  God  employs  such  means  as 
pleases  him  to  accomplish  his  purposes.  He  had  given 
Illetie  more  grace  than  to  her,  we  are  very  certain. 

We  were  invited  to  the  fort  by  the  Heer  commandant, 
who  wished  to  see  us,  but  left  it  to  our  convenience.  We 
went  there  with  Robert  Sanders,  who  interpreted  for  us. 
This  gentleman  received  us  politely.  He  said  he  was 
pleased  to  receive  us,  and  to  learn  how  we  liked  the  lands 
up  above,  and  made  a  few  such  common  observations. 
He  seemed  to  be  not  unreasonable,  and  a  reliable  person. 
If  he  was  not  a  Scotchman,  he  seemed,  nevertheless,  to  be 
a  good  Englishman,  and,  as  we  thought,  a  presbyterian. 
"We  soon  took  a  friendly  leave,  and  returned  home. 

"We  spoke  seriously  to  Robert  Sanders  about  his  pride, 
arrogance,  temper  and  passion,  although  according  to  the 
world's  reputation  he  was  not  a  bad  man.  His  wife  is 
more  simple  and  a  better  person  ;  we  spoke  to  her  also,  as 
well  as  to  their  children,  especially  to  the  oldest,  named 
Elizabeth,  who  was  tender-hearted  and  affectionate.  He 
and  all  of  them  promised  to  reform,  and  we  saw  with  con- 
solation that  they  in  some  things  commenced  to  do  so. 

30//i,  Tuesday.  We  were  ready  to  leave  early,  but  it  ran 
well  on  towards  noon,  when  with  a  head  wind,  but  a 
strong  current  down,  we  tacked  over  to  Kinderhoeck,  lying 
on  the  east  shore  sixteen  miles  below  Albany. 

Before  we  quit  Albany,  we  must  say  a  word  about  the 
place.  It  was  formerly  named  the  Fuyck,  by  the  Holland- 
ers, who  first  settled  there  on  account  of  two  rows  of 
houses  standing  there,  opposite  to  each  other,  which  being 
wide  enough  apart  in  the  beginning,  finally  ran  quite 
together  like  a  fuyck,1  and,  therefore,  they  gave  it  this  name, 


1  The  fuyck  is  a  hoop-net  used  for  the  purpose  of  catching  fish,  which 
gradually  diminishes  in  circumference  from  the  opening  until  it  terminates 
in  a  small  aperture  through  which  the  fish  passes  into  a  close  net.  The 
body  of  it  is  in  shape  somewhat  like  a  truncated  cone. 


320 


THE  HUDSON"  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


which,  although  the  place  is  built  up,  it  still  bears  with 
many,  especially  the  Dutch  and  Indians  living  about  there. 
It  is  nearly  square,  and  lies  against  a  hill,  with  several 
good  streets,  on  which  there  may  be  about  eighty  or  ninety 
houses.1    Fort  Orange,  constructed  by  the  Dutch,  lies 
below  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  is  set  off  with  pali- 
sades, filled  in  with  earth  on  the  inside.    It  is  now  aban- 
doned by  the  English,  who  have  built  a  similar  one  back 
of  the  town,  high  up  on  the  declivity  of  the  hill,  from 
whence  ii  can  command  the  place.    From  the  other  >ide 
of  this  fort  the  inhabitants  have  brought  a  spring  of  water, 
under  the  fort,  and  under  ground  into-  the  town,  where 
they  have  in  several  places  always  fountains  of  clear,  fresh, 
cool  water.    The  town  is  surrounded  by  palisades,  and 
has  several  gates  corresponding  with  the  streets.    It  has  a 
Dutch  reformed,  and  a  Lutheran  church.    The  Lutheran 
minister  lives  up  here  in  the  winter,  and  down  in  ISTew 
York  in  the  summer.    There  is  no  English  church,  or 
place  of  meeting,  to  my  knowledge.    As  this  is  the  princi- 
pal trading  post  with  the  Indians,  and  as  the  privilege  of 
trading  is  granted  to  certain  merchants  there,  only  as  a 
special  benefit,  who  know  what  every  one  must  bring 
there,  there  are  houses  or  lodges  erected  on  both  sides  of 
the  town,  where  the  Indians,  who  come  from  the  far  interior 
to  trade,  live  during  the  time  they  are  there.    This  time  of 
trading  with  the  Indians  is  at  its  height  in  the  months  of 
June  and  July,  and  also  in  August,  when  it  falls  off;  be- 


1 A  ground  plan  of  Albany  as  it  was  in  1695,  when  the  number  of  the 
houses  had  doubled,  but  when  the  arrangement  of  the  streets,  gates, 
churches  and  fortifications  were  not  apparently  altered  from  what  they 
were  at  this  time,  is  preserved  in  Miller's  Description  of  New  York,  London, 
1843,  Fig.  3.  The  new  fort  was  built  at  the  head  of  State  street,  which 
then  extended  to  Lodge  street.  The  name  of  State  street  at  that  time  is 
not  given,  but  Broadway  is  laid  down  and  called  Handelaer's  street,  that 
is,  Trader's  street,  and  would  seem  from  its  sliape  then,  and  as  it  remains 
at  the  present  day,  to  have  been  the  original  fuyck. 


ft 

KINDERHOOK.    CLAVERACK.  321 

cause  it  is  then  the  best  time  for  them  to  make  their 
journeys  there  and  back,  as  well  as  for  the  Hollanders,  on 
account  of  their  harvests. 

We  came  to  anchor  at  Kinderhook,  in  order  to  take  in 
some  grain,  which  the  female  trader  before  mentioned 
[Illetie's  mistress],  had  there  to  be  carried  down  the  river. 

May  1st,  Wednesday.  We  began  early  to  load,  but  as  it 
had  to  come  from  some  distance  in  the  country,  and  we 
had  to  wait,  we  stepped  ashore  to  amuse  ourselves.  We 
came  to  a  creek  where  near  the  river,  lives  the  man  whom 
they  usually  call  The  Child  of  Luxury,  ('t  Kind  van  Weelde), 
because  he  formerly  had  been  such  an  one,  but  who  now 
was  not  far  from  being  the  Child  of  Poverty  ('t  Kind  van 
Armoede),  for  he  was  situated  poorly  enough.  He  had  a  saw- 
mill on  the  creek,  on  a  water  fall,  which  is  a  singular  one, 
for  it  is  true  that  all  falls  have  something  special,  and  so 
had  this  one,  which  was  not  less  rare  and  pleasant  than 
others.  .  The  water  fell  quite  steep,  in  one  body,  but  it 
came  down  in  steps,  with  a  broad  rest  sometimes  between 
them.  These  steps  were  sixty  feet  or  more  high,  and  were 
formed  out  of  a  single  rock,  which  is  unusual.  I  reached 
this  spot  alone  through  the  woods,  and  while  I  was  sitting 
on  the  mill,  my  comrade  came  up  with  the  Child  of  Luxury, 
who,  after  he  had  shown  us  the  mill  and  falls,  took  us 
down  a  little  to  the  right  of  the  mill,  under  a  rock,  on  the 
margin  of  the  creek,  where  we  could  behold  how  wonder- 
ful God  is  even  in  the  most  hidden  parts  of  the  earth ;  for 
we  saw  crystal  lying  in  layers  between  the  rocks,  and  when 
we  rolled  away  a  piece  of  the  rock,  there  was,  at  least,  on 
two  sides  of  it,  a  crust  or  bark,  about  as  thick  as  the  breadth 
of  a  straw,  of  a  sparkling  or  glassy  substance,  which  looked 
like  alabaster,  and  this  crust  was  full  of  points  or  gems, 
which  were  truly  gems  of  crystal,  or  like  substance.  They 
sparkled  brightly,  and  were  as  clear  as  water,  and  so  close 
together  that  you  could  obtain  hundreds  of  them  from  one 
41 


322  THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 

piece  of  the  crust.  We  broke  some  pieces  off,  and  brought 
them  away  with  us  as  curiosities.  It  is  justly  to  be  sup- 
posed that  other  precious  stones  rest  in  the  crevices  of  the 
rocks  and  mines  as  these  do.  I  have  seen  this  sort  of  crys- 
tal as  large  and  pointed  as  the  joint  of  a  finger.  I  saw 
one,  indeed,  at  the  house  of  Robert  Sanders  as  large  as 
your  fist,  though  it  was  not  clear,  but  white,  like  glassy 
alabaster.  It  had  what  they  call  a  table  point.  Robert 
Sanders  has  much  of  this  mountain  crystal  at  his  farm, 
about  four  miles  from  Albany,  towards  the  Cahoos,  on  the 
east  side  of  the  river,  hut  we  have  not  been  there 

On  returning  to  the  boat,  we  saw  that  the  woman-trader 
had  sent  a  quantity  of  bluish  wheat  on  board,  which  the 
skipper  would  not  receive,  or  rather  mix  with  the  other 
wheat;  but  when  she  came  she  had  it  done,  in  which  her 
dishonesty  appeared,  for  when  the  skipper  arrived  at  New 
York,  he  could  not  deliver  the  wheat  which  was  under  hers. 
We  set  sail  in  the  evening,  and  came  to  C layer  rack 
(Clover-reach),  sixteen  miles  further  down  where  we  also 
took  in  some  grain  in  the  evening. 

2d,  Thursday.  "We  were  here  laden  full  of  grain,  which 
had  to  be  brought  in  four  miles  from  the  country.  The  boors 
who  brought  it  in  wagons,  asked  us  to  ride  out  with  them 
to  their  places,  which  we  did.  We  rode  along  a  high  ridge 
of  blue  rock  on  the  right  hand,  the  top  of  which  was  grown 
over.  This  stone  is  suitable  for  burning  lime,  as  the  people 
of  the  Hysopus,  from  the  same  kind,  burn  the  best.  Large, 
clear  fountains  flow  out  of  these  cliffs  or  hills,  the  first  real 
fountains,  and  only  ones  which  we  have  met  with  in  this 
countiy.  We  arrived  ^at  the  places  which  consist  of  fine 
farms;  the  tillable  land  is  like  that  of  Schooiv echten  deel,  low, 
flat,  and  on  the  side  of  a  creek,  very  delightful  and  pleasant 
to  look  upon,  especially  at  the  present  time,  when  they 
were  all  green  with  the  wheat  coming  up.  The  woodland 
also,  is  very  good  for  [making]  tillable  land,  and  it  was  one 


GOING  ASHORE.  323 

of  the  locations  which  pleased  me  most,  with  its  agreeable 
fountains.  Coming  back  to  the  shore,  I  made  a  sketch,  as 
well  as  I  could,  of  the  Catskil  mountains,  which  now 
showed  themselves  nakedly,  which  they  did  not  do  to  us 
when  we  went  up  the  river.  They  lie  on  the  west  side  of 
the  river,  deep  in  the  country,  and  I  stood  on  the  east  side 
of  it.  In  the  evening,  we  obtained  a  still  more  distinct 
view  of  them. 

3d,  Friday.  We  took  on  board  early  the  rest  of  our 
lading.  Our  tradress  left  us  here  in  order  to  go  back  to 
Albany,  and  we  received  two  other  passengers  in  her  stead, 
a  young  man  of  this  place,  named  Dirck  (Diederic),  to 
whom  we  made  mention  of  our  crystal.  He  said  they  had 
at  his  place,  a  rock,  in  which  there  was  a  yellow,  glittering 
substance  like  gold,  as  they  firmly  believed  it  was ;  he  did 
not  know  we  were  there,  otherwise  he  would  have  pre- 
sented us  with  a  specimen.  We  spoke  to  him,  as  he  was  a 
good  hearted  youth,  several  times  of  God  and  Christ,  and 
of  the  Christian  life,  and  each  time  he  was  much  concerned. 
Truly  we  discover  gradually  more  and  more  there  is  here 
a  hunger  and  thirst  after  God,  and  no  one  to  help  them. 
They  go  everywhere  wandering  without  a  shepherd,  and 
know  not  where  they  shall  turn.  We  also  spoke  to  the 
skipper's  daughter,  a  worldly  child,  who  was  not  affected 
by  what  we  said.  The  Lord  will,  in  his  own  time,  gather 
together  those  who  are  of  his  elect. 

We  sailed  from  there  about  nine  o'clock,  but  after  going 
eight  or  twelve  miles,  got  aground  in  consequence  of  our 
heavy  lading,  where  we  were  compelled  to  remain  until 
four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  waiting  for  high  water.  But 
what  was  unfortunate,  we  missed  a  fine,  fair  wind,  which 
sprung  up  about  eleven  o'clock.  Meanwhile,  the  passen- 
gers went  ashore.  I  walked  a  small  distance  into  the 
country,  and  came  to  a  fall  of  water,  the  basin  of  which  was 
full  of  fish,  two  of  which  I  caught  with  my  hands.  They 


324 


TIIE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS 


were  young  shad.  I  went  immediately  after  the  other  passen- 
gers for  assistance  to  catch  more,  hut  when  they  came,  they 
made  such  an  agitation  of  the  water,  that  the  fish  all  shot 
to  the  hottom,  and  remained  there  under  the  rocks.  We 
therefore,  could  ohtain  no  more ;  but  if  we  had  had  a  small 
.  schep-net  (casting  net),  we  could  have  caught  them  in  great 
numhers,  or  if  I  had  remained  there  quiet  alone.    But  as 
it  was,  we  had  to  abandon  it.    These  fish  come  at  high 
water  from  the  North  river  into  these  little  streams,  where 
they  find  clear,  fresh  water,  and  weeds  and  herbs.  They 
remain  there  eating  and  sporting,  and,  in  the  meantime,  at 
low  water  they  are  left  in  these  holes  or  basins,  and  they 
are  thus  caught  in  great  numbers  in  many  of  the  streams  by 
the  Indians. 

The  water  having  risen,  and  the  wind  being  favorable, 
we  went  on  board,  and  as  soon  as  we  were  afloat,  got  under 
sail.  We  proceeded  rapidly  ahead,  and  at  sundown  came 
to  anchor  before  the  Hysopus,  where  we  landed  some  pas- 
sengers who  lived  there. 

4th,  Saturday.  We  went  ashore  early,  and  further  inland 
to  the  village.  We  found  Gerrit,  the  glass-maker  there, 
with  his  sister.  He  it  was  who  desired  to  come  up  here  in 
company  with  us,  and  he  was  now  happy  to  see  us.  He 
was  engaged  putting  the  glass  in  their  new  church,  but  left 
his  work  to  go  with  us  through  the  country,  where  he  was 
better  acquainted  than  we  were.  We  found  here  exceed- 
ingly large  flats,  which  are  more  than  three  hours  ride  in 
length,  very  level,  with  a  black  soil  which  yields  grain 
abundantly.  They  lie  like  those  at  Schoon  ecte  and  Claver 
rack,  between  the  hills  and  along  the  creek,  which  some- 
times overflows  all  the  land,  and  drowns  and  washes  out 
much  of  the  wheat.    The  place  is  square,1  set  off  with 

1 A  ground  plan  of  Esopus  or  Kingston,  showing  the  stockade  with  its 
gates,  and  the  houses  and  fortifications  as  they  are  here  described,  may  be 
found  in  Miller's  Description  of  New  York. 


ES0PU8  OR  KINGSTON. 


325 


palisades,  through  which  there  are  several  gates ;  it  consists 
of  about  fifty  houses  within  the  stockade.  They  were 
engaged  in  a  severe  war  with  the  Indians  daring  the  admin- 
istration of  the  Heer  Stuyvesant,  which  is,  therefore,  still 
called  the  Hysopus  war,  partly  because  it  was  occasioned 
on  account  of  the  people  of  Hysopus,  and  because  they 
have  had  to  bear  there  the  largest  burden  of  it.  In  return- 
ing to  the  village,  we  observed  a  very  large,  clear  fountain 
bubbling  up  from  under  a  rock.  When  we  arrived  there, 
we  went  to  the  house  of  the  person  who  was  the  head  of 
the  village  where  some  people  had  assembled,  who,  having 
no  minister,  and  hearing  my  comrade  was  a  theologian, 
requested  him  to  preach  for  them  the  next  day.  But  our 
skipper  having  finished  what  he  had  to  do,  we  left  there. 
Here  and  in  Albany,  they  brew  the  heaviest  beer  we  have 
tasted  in  all  New  JSTetherland,  and  from  wheat  alone, 
because  it  is  so  abundant.  The  glass-maker  informed  us 
that  Willem,  the  son  of  our  old  people,  was  going  to  fol- 
low the  sea,  and  had  left  for  Barbadoes ;  that  Evert  Duyck- 
ert,  our  late  mate  on  our  voyage  out,  who  had  gone  as 
captain  of  a  ketch  to  Barbadoes  and  Jamaica,  had  arrived ; 
that  it  was  his  ship  we  had  seen  coming  in,  when  we  were 
leaving  the  city,  and  that,  perhaps,  he  would  go  with  her 
to  Holland.  This  place  is  about  three-quarters  of  an  hour 
inland.  At  the  mouth  of  the  creek  on  the  shore  of  the 
river,  there  are  some  houses  and  a  redoubt,  together  with 
a  general  storehouse,  where  the  farmers  bring  in  their 
grain,  in  order  that  it  may  be  conveniently  shipped  when 
the  boats  come  up  here,  and  wherein  their  goods  are  dis- 
charged from  the  boats,  as  otherwise  there  would  be  too 
much  delay  in  going  back  and  forth.  The  woodland 
around  the  Hysopus  is  not  of  much  value,  and  is  nothing 
but  sand  and  rock.  We  had  hardly  reached  the  river, 
when  a  man  came  running  up  to  us  as  hard  as  he  could, 
requesting  to  speak  to  us.    We  inquired  of  him  what 


326  THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 

he  desired,  when  he  complained  of  being  sorely  afflicted 
with  an  internal  disease,  and  said  he  had  heard  we  well 
understood  medicine,  and  knew  what  to  prescribe  for  him. 
We  told  him  we  were  no  doctors,  and  had  only  brought  a 
few  medicines  with  us  for  our  own  use,  and  most  of  them 
we  had  given  away.  My  comrade  told  him  what  he 
thought  of  his  disease,  and  that  we  could  not  help  him  : 
whereupon,  this  poor  wretched  man  went  sorrowfully  back 
again,  for  he  had  spent  much  to  be  cured.  We  told  him, 
however,  we  would  send  him  a  brackish  powder  which  had 
done  good  in  several  cases,  and  which,  if  it  pleased  God  to 
bless  it,  would  perhaps  help  him.  We  went  on  board  the 
boat,  and  immediately  got  under  sail,  with  a  favorable  but 
light  wind,  and  by  evening  arrived  at  the  entrance  of  the 
Highlands. 

5th,  Sunday.  The  wind  was  ahead,  but  it  was  calm. 
When  the  tide  began  to  fall,  we  tacked,  or  rather  drifted 
along,  but  with  little  progress.  We  passed  through  the 
Highlands,  however,  and  came  to  anchor  by  the  time  the 
ebb  was  spent.    The  weather  was  very  rainy. 

6th,  Monday.  The  wind  was  still  contrary,  and  blew  hard, 
therefore,  we  tacked,  but  in  consequence  of  our  being  very 
heavily  laden,  we  advanced  but  little.  We  anchored  again 
when  we  went  ashore  at  a  place  on  the  east  side  of  the 
river,  where  there  was  a  meadow  on  fire.  We  saw  there  a 
beautiful  hard  stone,  as  white  and  as  clean  as  I  have  ever 
seen  either  here  or  in  Europe,  very  fine  for  building ;  and 
also  many  cedar  trees  of  beautiful  color  and  strong  per- 
fume. Some  Indians  came  alongside  of  us  in  their  canoes, 
whom  we  called  on  board,  and  bought  from  them  a  very 
large  striped  bass,  as  large  as  a  codfish  in  the  Fatherland, 
for  a  loaf  of  stale  bread  worth  about  three  stuivers,  Holland 
money,  and  some  other  fish,  for  a  little  old  salt  meat. 

7th,  Tuesday.  At  daylight  the  tide  served,  but  the  wind 
was  still  ahead,  though  steady.    We  continued  tackino- 


RETURN  AGAIN  TO  THE  CITY.  327 

with  considerable  progress,  and  at  ten  o'clock,  arrived 
before  the  city  of  New  York,  where  we  struck  upon  a  rock. 
The  water  was  falling,  and  we,  therefore,  immediately 
carried  out  an  anchor,  and  wore  the  yacht  off.  A  slight 
breeze  soon  afterward  sprung  up,  and  took  us  to  the  city. 
The  Lord  be  praised  and  glorified  for  his  grace.  We 
delivered  our  letters,  and  executed  the  orders  which  were 
committed  to  us.  We  inquired  for  Ephraim  and  de  la 
Grange,  but  they  had  not  yet  arrived. 

8th,  Wednesday.  We  had  now  nothing  more  to  do,  except 
to  get  ready  with  all  speed  to  leave  for  Boston.  As  we 
had  ordered  some  clothes,  as  we  have  said,  to  be  made,  we 
urged  the  tailor  to  finish  them.  We  iuquired  for  a  boat 
going  to  Boston,  and  found  there  were  two,  but  the  time  was 
up  the  next  day  for  leaving,  and  we  could  not  be  ready  so 
soon.  We  went  first  to  visit  Theunis,  concerning  whom 
there  had  been  great  talk  during  our  absence.  Even  the 
minister  Niewenkuyse,  dared  to  say  that  we  had  misled  him; 
and  he  intended  to  visit  Theunis,  for  he  had  been  to  our 
house.  But  Theunis  anticipated  him,  and  said  he  need  not 
give  himself  so  much  trouble,  as  he  could  go  to  him, 
which  he  did.  When  the  domine  asked  him  about  these 
things,  he  told  the  domine  he  must  not  have  any  such 
opinion ;  that  we  had  not  misled  him,  but  had  led  him 
straight ;  that  he  was  not  able  to  compensate  us  for  the  good 
we  had  done  him,  since  he  was  more  edified,  instructed, 
strengthened,  and  comforted  by  us,  than  he  had  been  by 
any  one  in  his  whole  life.  The  domine,  therefore,  had  to 
be  satisfied,  and  said,  "  'tis  well  then,  'tis  well  then,  I  did 
not  know  that."  Our  old  woman  told  us  Theunis  had  been 
so  sad  and  oppressed  again,  they  did  not  know  what  to 
advise  him.  We,  therefore,  went  to  see  him,  and  found 
him  home,  in  as  good  a  frame  of  mind  as  could  be  wished 
for  one  in  such  a  condition.  We  asked  him  how  he  got 
along.    He  said  very  well ;  that  God  was  good  to  him,  and 


t 


328 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


then  related  to  us  about  his  going  to  the  minister,  and  his 
standing  upon  the  eminence  when  we  were  sailing  by,  look- 
ing after  us.  We  spoke  to  him  affectionately,  exhorting 
him  to  faithfulness  ;  that  he  must  instruct  his  wife  and 
children,  and  set  them  a  good  example.  He  informed  us 
that  his  wife  was  as  changed  as  day  from  night  in  many 
respects,  and  he  hoped  she  would  improve  still  more ;  that 
he  would  instruct  his  children  as  well  as  he  could,  if  it 
pleased  the  Lord  they  should  be  instructed,  which  com- 
forted us,  and  we  returned  home. 

The  North  river  is  the  most  navigated,  and  frequented 
river  in  these  parts,  because  the  country  about  it,  is  the 
most  inhabited.    Its  larger  population  as  compared  with 
.    other  places  is  owing  for  the  most  part,  first  to  the  fact 
that  the  capital  was  originally  established  here,  and  has 
ever  since  remained  here,  under  whatever  government  has 
„     prevailed,  although  the  South  river  was  first  discovered ; 
secondly,  because  it  is  the  most  convenient  place  for  the 
purposes  of  navigation,  I  mean  the  capital,  and  is  the 
middle  and  centre  of  the  whole  of  New  Netherland;  and 
thirdly,  because  this  place,  and  indeed  the  river,  possess 
the  most  healthy  and  temperate  climate.    We  will  here- 
after speak  of  New  York,  and  confine  ourselves  now  to 
the  North  river  ;  which  was  so  called  for  two  reasons,  and 
justly  so:  the  first  of  which  is  because,  as  regards  the 
South  river,  it  lies  in  a  more  northerly  latitude,  the  South 
river  lying  in  39°,  and  the  North  river  in  40°  25',  and 
being  also  thus  distinguishable  from  the  East  river,  which 
although,  it  is  more  easterly,  as  its  name  denotes,  never- 
theless, lies  in  the  same  parallel.    The  other  reason  is 
because  it  runs  up  generally  in  a  northerly  direction,  or 
between  north  by  east  and  north  northeast.    It  begins  at 
the  sea  in  a  bay;  for  the  sea  coast,  between  the  North  and 
South  rivers,  stretches  northeast  by  north  and  northeast, 
and  southwest  and  southwest  by  south;  and  from  the 


THE  RIVER  PROPER.   LOCAL  NAMES. 


329 


North  river,  along  Long  Island  for  the  most  part  east  and 
west.  Besides  this  name  which  is  the  most  common  and 
the  best,  it  bears  several  others ;  such  as  Maurits  river, 
because  it  was  discovered,  and  taken  possession  of  in  the 
time  of  Prince  Maurice ;  Montague  river  because  one  de  la 
Montague  was  one  of  the  first  and  principal  settlers,1  and 
lastly,  Manhattans  river,  from  the  Manhattans  island,  or  the 
Manhattan  Indians,  who  lived  hereabouts  and  on  the 
island  of  Manhattans,  now  the  city  of  New  York.  To  be 
more  exact,  its  beginning  it  seems  to  us,  ought  to  be  re- 
garded as  at  the  city  of  New  York,  where  the  East  river, 
as  well  as  Kil  achter  kol  separate  from  the  North 
river.  The  waters  below  the  city  are  not  commonly  called 
the  river,  but  the  bay ;  for  although  the  river  discharges 
itself  into  the  sea  at  Sandy  hook,  or  Rentselaer's  hook, 
this  discharge  is  not  peculiarly  its  own,  but  also  that  of 
the  East  river,  Achter  kol,  Slangenbergh  bay,  Hacking- 
sack  creek,  Northwest  creek,  Elizabeth  creek,  Woodbridge 
creek,  Milstone  river,  Raritan  river  and  Nevesinck  creek, 
all  of  which  deserve  the  name  of  rivers',  and  have  nothing 
in  common  with  the  North  river,  but  with  Long  Island  on 
one  side  and  Staten  Island  on  the  other.  The  water  below 
the  Narrows  to  Sandy  hook,  are  usually  called  the  Great 
bay ;  and  those  of  the  Narrows  and  above  them  as  far  as 
the  city,  and  up  to,  and  beyond  Sapocanikke,  the  Little  bay. 

1  This  origin  of  the  name  of  Montagne,  as  applied  to  the  North  river,  is 
perhaps  apocryphal ;  yet  it  is  a  singular  fact,  that  it  is  the  only  derivation 
of  the  word  given  by  any  of  the  early  Dutch  writers,  by  whom  alone  it  seems 
to  have  been  used ;  probably  because  it  is  obvious  enough  that  it  is  in- 
tended to  be  Mountain  river.  De  Laet,  who  first  mentions  it  in  his 
Nkuwe  Werldt,  1025,  says  the  North  river  is  called  by  some  Rio  de  Mon- 
taigne, which  is  partly  Spanish  and  partly  French,  but  he  attempts  no 
explanation  of  its  meaning  in  any  of  the  editions,  Dutch,  Latin  or  French, 
of  his  work :  though  in  a  subsequent  page  he  calls  the  river  the  great  rieviere 
de  Montaines.  On  many  of  the  earlier  maps  preceding  the  work  of  De 
Laet  the  region  of  this  river  is  designated  as  Montana,  a  ridge  of  mountains, 
evidently  on  Spanish  authority.  Hence  probably  De  Laet  derived  the 
■name  of  Rio  de  Montaigne. 

42 


330  THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 

Although  the  Great  hay  is  so  called,  it  is  not  hy  any  means 
as  large  as  that  of  the  South  river.    Above  Sapocanikke 
the  river  is  about  two  miles  wide,  and  is  very  uniformly 
of  the  same  width  as  far  up  as  the  Hysopm  and  higher, 
except  in  the  Highlands,  where  there  are  here  and  there  a 
narrow  strait  and  greater  depth.    Above  the  Hyaopiu, 
which  is  90  to  96  miles  from  the  city,  it  still  maintains  a 
fair  width,  but  with  numerous  islands,  shoals  and  shal- 
lows, up  to  Fort  Albany,  where  it  is  narrower.    It  is  easily 
navigable  to  the  Hysopus  with  large  vessels,  and  thence  to 
Fort  Albany  with  smaller  ones,  although  ketches  and  such 
craft  can  go  up  there  and  load.    It  carries  the  ordinary 
flood  tide  into  the  Highlands,  but  with  much  of  a  down 
flow  of  water,  only  up  to  them ;  though  with  an  extraordi- 
nary flow  down  and  a  dead  neap-tide,  the  water  becomes 
brackish  near  the  city.    With  a  slight  flow  of  water  down, 
and  a  spring  tide,  accompanied  by  a  southeast  storm, 
the  flood  tide  is  carried  quite  through  the  Highlands,  and 
they  said  they  had  had  a  change  in  the  water  even  as  far 
up  as  the  Hysopust    The  land  on  both  sides  of  the  river  is 
high  and  rocky,  but  higher  in  some  places  than  others,  as 
at  the  Highlands,  eminently  so  called  because  they  are 
higher  than  the  others.    In  passing  by  the  Hysopus  you 
see  the  Kalskil  mountains,  a  little  inland,  which  are  the 
highest  in  this  region,  and  extend  from  there,  in  the  form 
of  a  crescent,  into  the  country  of  the  Maguaas.  Although 
these  mountains  are  from  112  to  120  miles  distant  from 
the  sea,  there  are  skippers,  who  in  clear  weather  have  seen 
them  while  sailing  along  the  coast.1    All  the  reaches 
{racken),  creeks  (Men),  headlands  (hoeken),  and  islands, 
bear  the  names  which  were  accidentally  given  them  in  the 
first  instance :  as  Antonis  neus  (Anthony's  nose)  a  headland 
and  high  hill  in  the  Highlands,  because  it  has  a  sharp 

'The  highest  mountains  in  the  Catskill  range  is  that  called  Round  Top 
which  is  3,804  feet  ahove  tide  water.  Moulton'sHist.  of  New  York,  243,  note. 


BRANCHES  OF  THE  RIVER.  FISH. 


331 


edge  running  up  and  down  in  the  form  of  a  man's  nose; 
Donderbergh  (Thunder  hill),  because  it  thundered  there 
frightfully  at  the  time  the  first  explorers  of  the  river 
passed  it ;  Swadel  rack  (Swath  reach),  a  short  strait  be- 
tween high  hills,  where  in  sailing  through  they  encounter 
whirlwinds  and  squalls,  and  meet  sometimes  with  accidents, 
which  they  usually  call  sioadclen  (swaths  or  mowing 
sweeps) ;  Danskamer  (Dancing  chamber),  a  spot  where  a 
party  of  men  and  women  arrived  in  a  yacht  in  early  times, 
and  being  stopped  by  the  tide  went  ashore.  Gay,  and 
perhaps  intoxicated,  they  began  to  jump  and  dance  when 
the  Indians  who  had  observed  them,  fell  upon  them  in 
the  height  of  their  merriment,  and  drove  them  away.  In 
remembrance  of  this  circumstance  the  place  has  since  been 
called  the  Dancing  chambei'.  It  is  on  the  west  side  of  the 
river,  just  through  the  Highlands.  Boterberg  (Butter 
hill),  and  Hoyberg  (Hay  hill),  the  one,  because  it  is  like 
the  rolls  of  butter  which  the  farmers  in  Holland  take  to 
market,  and  the  other,  because  it  is  like  a  haystack  in  Hol- 
land; 'tClaver  rack  (Clover  reach),  from  three  bare 
places  which  appear  on  the  land ; 1  and  Kinder  hoeck 
(Children's  point),  Noten  hoeck  (Nut  point),  Potlepels 
Eylant  (Potladle  island),  Kock  achie,  &c.2 

Above  Fort  Albany  there  are  occasionally  good  flats  on 
both  sides  of  the  river,  at  the  foot  of  the  hills,  and  also 
some  fine  islands  up  to  the  Cahoos ;  which  is  where  the 
colony  of  Rentselaerwyck  is  planted.  The  river  begins 
above  Fort  Albany  to  divide  itself,  first  by  islands,  and 
then  by  the  main  land,  into  two  arms  or  branches,  one  of 
which  turns  somewhat  towards  the  west  and  afterwards 


1 A  fancied  resemblance  to  trefoil  or  three  leaved  clover  (claver). 

2  Coxsackie ;  the  true  orthography  of  this  name  is  probably  Kocksrackie 
(the  Cook's  little  reach)  to  distinguish  it  from  the  Koeks  rack  (the  Cook's 
reach)  below  the  Highlands,  near  New  Amsterdam.  See  Nic.  J.  Visscher's 
map  of  New  Nethcrland  (Noci  Belgii  Tabula). 


332 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


entirely  west  through  Schoonechten,  towards  the  country  of 
the  Maquaas,  and  this  branch,  on  which  the  Cahoos  lies,  is 
called  the  Maquaas  kil.    The  other  preserves  the  course  of 
the  main  river  for  the  most  part,  or  a  little  more  easterly, 
and  retains  also  the  name  of  the  North  river.    It  runs  far 
up  into  the  country,  and  has  its  source  in  a  lake  120  to 
160  miles  in  length,  out  of  which  a  stream  prohably 
empties  into  the  St.  Lawrence,  a  river  of  Canada;  for  not 
only  do  the  Indians,  but  the  French  also,  pass  over  here  in 
canoes  from  Canada.    We,  ourselves,  have  conversed  with 
persons  who  have  thus  come  over,  some  by  water,  and 
others  by  land  and  on  foot.     Of  the  Cahoos  we  have 
already  spoken,  in  relating  our  journey  there.    Those  falls 
are  a  great  and  wonderful  work  of  God  ;  but,  although 
tbey  have  so  much  water  that  the  wind  causes  the  spray 
and  moisture  to  rise  continually  in  the  air,  so  that  specta- 
tors, who  stand  two  hundred  feet  or  so,  higher,  are  made 
wet,  especially  when  there  are  any  gusts  of  wind  driving 
from  one  side,  as  happened  to  us,  yet  we  regard  the  falls 
on  the  Northwest  kil  [the  Passaic],  as  more  curious,  though 
smaller,  and  having  less  water.    Even  on  the  North  river, 
there  are  several  small  creeks  and  falls  more  rare  to  see 
than  the  Cahoos.    Beyond  the  Cahoos,  the  land  is  not  so 
high  above  the  water ;  and  no  fish  pass  from  below,  into 
the  river  above,  in  consequence  of  the  interruption  caused 
by  the  falls,  nor  can  any  boats  be  carried  over  the  falls,  up  or 
down,  which  is  a  great  inconvenience  for  those  who  live 
above  the  Cahoos,  at  Schenectady  and  other  places,  al- 
though when  the  country  shall  become  more  inhabited, 
and  they  shall  have  more  occasion,  they  will  take  means 
to  remedy  this  difliculty.    Through  the  whole  of  that  ex- 
tensive country  they  have  no  fish,  except  some  small 
kinds  peculiar  to  the  streams,  such  as  trout,  sunfish,  roach, 
pike,  &c. ;  and  this  is  the  case  in  all  the  creeks  where  there 
are  falls. 


DOMINE  VAN  ZUEEN. 


333 


The  North  river  abounds  with  fish  of  all  kinds,  through- 
out from  the  sea  to  the  falls,  and  in  the  branch  which 
runs  up  to  the  lake.  To  relate  a  single  instance;  some 
persons  near  Albany,  caught  in  a  single  haul  of  a  common 
seine,  between  five  and  six  hundred  fine  shad,  bass,  perch 
and  other  fish,  and  there  were,  I  believe,  over  five  hundred 
of  one  kind.  It  is  not  necessary  for  those  who  live  in  the 
city  [of  New  York],  and  other  places  near  the  sea,  to  go  to 
the  sea  to  fish,  but  they  can  fish  in  the  river  and  waters 
inside;  or  even  to  the  Great  bay,  except  such  as  live 
upon  it,  and  they  can  by  means  of  fuycks  or  seines  not 
only  obtain  fish  enough  for  their  daily  consumption,  but 
also  to  salt,  dry  and  smoke,  for  commerce,  and  to  export 
by  shiploads  if  they  wish,  all  kinds  of  them,  as  the  people 
of  Boston  do;  but  the  people  here  have  better  land  than 
they  have  there,  where  they,  therefore,  resort  more  for  a 
living  to  the  water. 

There  is  much  beautiful  quarry  stone  of  all  kinds  on 
this  river,  well  adapted  for  building  purposes  and  for  burn- 
ing lime ;  and  as  fine  cedar  wood  as  we  have  seen  any- 
where. Nevertheless,  for  suitableness  of  navigation,  and 
for  rich  land  on  both  sides,  all  the  way  up,  the  South 
river  excels  the  North ;  but  what  gives  the  North  river 
the  preference,  and  crowns  it  over  the  South  river  is,  its 
salubrious  climate;  though  above  Christina  creek,  the 
South  river  is  healthy,  and  it  is  every  day  becoming  more 
so,  along  the  whole  of  that  river.  On  the  North  river, 
however,  one  has  not  to  wait  and  die  before  this  improve- 
ment may  take  place. 

As  soon  as  we  arrived  in  the  city,  we  resolved  upon 
going  to  Long  Island,  for  the  purpose  of  taking  leave  ac- 
cording to  promise  of  the  kind  acquaintances  we  had 
living  there  ;  and,  therefore,  on  the 

9th,  Thursday,  we  started  about  ten  o'clock.  In  cross- 
ing the  ferry  we  met  Elbert  [Elbertsen  Stoothoff],  the 


334  THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 

father-in-law  of  Jan  Tbeunissen,  who  came  over  with  us 
and  professed  so  much  friendship  towards  us.    Elbert  was 
going  to  the  city  and  intended  to  return  again  soon  ;  but 
we  thought  it  would  not  be  before  evening,  which  would 
be  too  long  to  wait  for  him.    We,  therefore,  proceeded  on 
to  his  house  at  the  bay,  where  we  arrived  at  noon  We 
found  there  Gerrit,  the  wheelwright;  and  Jan  Tbeunissen 
soon  came  in  from  the  fields  ;  but,  as  the  father  [in-law] 
.    was  not  home  we  had  to  tarry,  although  we  had  intended 
to  go  to  Najaek.    While  we  were  sitting  there,  Dommc  Van 
Biuret?  came  up,  to  whom  the  boors  called  out  as  uncivilly 
and  rudely  as  if  he  had  been  a  boy.    He  had  a  chatting 
time  with  all  of  them.    As  Jan  Theunissen  had  said  to  us 
in  the  house,  that  if  the  domine  only  had  a  chance  once 
to  speak  to  us,  Oh,  how  he  would  talk  to  us!  that  we 
avoided  him,  and,  therefore,  could  not  be  very  good 
people;  now,  as  we  were  there,  we  sat  near  him,  and  the 
boors,  and  those  with  whom  he  was  conversing.    He  spoke 
to  us,  but  not  a  word  of  that  fell  from  him.    Indeed  he 
sat  prating  and  gossiping  with  the  boors,  who  tal'ked 
touDy  and  otherwise,  not  only  without  giving  them  a 
single  word  of  reproof,  but  even  without  speaking  a  word 
about  God,  or  spiritual  matters.    It  was  all  about  houses 
and  cattle,  and  swine,  and  grain;  and  then  he  went  away  ' 
10th,  Fndwj.  The  morning  was  rainy,  and  we  could  not 
go  out  early;  but  the  weather  became  better  after  break- 
fast about  nine  o'clock,  when  we  took  our  leave  and  left 
for  JSajack,  where  we  arrived  at  eleven  o'clock  at  Jaques's. 
He  had  been  sick  with  a  large  ulcer  on  his  neck,  but  that 
Was  now  better.    We  were  welcome.    Among  other  mat- 

'  This  was  the  Rev.  Casparus  Van  Zuren  who  succeeded  Rev.  Theodoras 
the  charge  of  the  Dutch  churches  on  Long  Island  n  l6" 
He  continued  m  tins  pastoral  service  until  1685,  when  he  received  a  caU 
romh,  former  church  at  Gouderak  in  Holland  and  returned to ^Father 
land.    Strang's  History  of  Flatbush,  79-80. 


A  CONFESSION.   SETTLING  UP. 


335 


ters,  he  told  us  that  he  had  heard  the  report  about  our 
Theunis,  hut  he  did  not  know  what  to  believe  or  think  of 
it.  We  told  him  the  whole  truth  about  it,  as  he  was 
capable  of  believing  it,  for  he  was,  at  the  best,  a  Socinian. 
Theunis  had  formerly  lived  in  that  neighborhood  and 
Jaques  at  that  time  missed  a  cow  which  was  pasturing  in  the 
woods  with  the  other  cattle,  as  they  always  do.  They 
made  a  thorough  search  after  her,  but  could  not  find  her. 
Although  Jaques  had  some  suspicion  of  Theunis,  he  did 
not  manifest  it  even  to  those  who  spoke  to  him  about 
Theunis  in  connection  with  the  subject.  It  happened  that 
Theunis  came  to  Jaques's  house,  when  Jaques  embraced 
the  opportunity,  and  took  him  on  the  shore  near  his  house. 
After  talking  of  various  matters,  Jaques  spoke  to  him 
about  his  cow,  how  she  was  carried  off,  and  they  never 
could  hear  any  thing  about  her.  He  then  began  to  push 
Theunis  a  little  closer,  who  laughed  at  it  heartily  at  first ; 
but  by  hard  pressing  and  proofs  which  Jaques  gradually 
brought  forward,  and  especially  by  appeals  to  his  con- 
science, whether  he  had  not  the  fear  of  God  before  his 
eyes,  Theunis  acknowledged  he  had  done  it,  and,  falling 
on  his  knees,  prayed  for  forgiveness.  He  had  stolen  the 
cow,  and  killed  her.  Jaques,  who  is  one  of  the  justices, 
said,  I  forgive  you  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart,  but  I  do 
this,  only  to  cause  you  to  reflect  .and  desist  from  your 
wickedness,  and  to  show  you  that  you  do  not  know  or 
fear  Gocl,  and  that  you  may  fear  him  more.  Whereupon 
Theunis  was  much  affected,  and  went  away  entirely  sub- 
dued, while  Jaques  was  rejoiced  that  he  had  had  the  op- 
portunity of  relieving  his  mind  about  Theunis.  Jaques, 
who  had  known  him  from  his  youth  up,  said  he  had  been 
a  very  godless  person,  cursing  and  swearing,  and,  in  a 
word,  living  in  direct  hostility  to  Gocl.  We  told  Jaques 
that  better  things  were  now  to  be  expected  from  him,  at 
which  Jaques  was  pleased. 


336  THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 

We  dined  with  Jaques;  and  his  little  son  came  and  pre- 
sented us  a  humming  bird  he  had  shot,    Jaques  impressed 
us  very  much  with  his  sincerity  and  cordiality  in  everything 
we  had  to  do  with  him,  or  wherein  he  could  be  of  any 
service  to  us.    We  left  with  him  the  little  book  which  we 
had  lent  to  him,  and  which  he  said  he  had  found  much 
pleasure  in  reading,  Les  Paise.es  de  M.  Pascal.    We  took 
our  leave  of  him,  and  went  directly  through  the  fields  to 
Gouancs,  where  we  arrived  at  two  o'clock.     Simon  and 
his  wife  were  out  upon  some  newly  cleared  land  planting 
watermelons;  for  water  melons  must  always  have  new 
ground,  or  the  worms  will  destroy  them.    They  went  into 
the  house  with  us.    They  also  spoke  about  Theunis,  and 
we  disabused  them  of  several  things.    They  showed  us 
some  pieces  of  ambergris,  which  their  brother  had  brought 
from  the  Caribbean  islands,  and  which  we  thought  was 
good.    We  said  to  them  what  we  deemed  proper  for  them, 
and  took  our  leave,  reaching  the  city  in  good  time. 

De  la  Grange  and  his  wife,  arrived  this  evening  from 
the  South  river  by  land,  leaving  their  nephew  behind,  who 
had  made  arrangements  to  come  over  with  Ephraim  in 
eight  days.  Meanwhile,  we  made  inquiries  about  going  to 
Boston,  and  they  informed  us  that  a  vessel  had  sailed  during 
our  absence,  but  we  were  not  ready,  and  there  would  be 
another  one  going  in  eight  or  ten  days. 

Ulh,  Saturday.  We  finished  with  our  tailor,  and  paid 
him  77  guilders  in  zeewan,  that  is  25  guilders  and  8 
stuivers  in  Holland  money  [ten  dollars  and  sixteen  centsl 

13th,  Monday.  We  settled  with  our  old  hosts  and  paid 
them.  We  continued  our  inquiries  for  an  opportunity  to 
leave,  but  without  success. 

loth,  Wednesday.  As  we  were  crossing  the  street,  the 
lord  governor  passing  by,  saw  us  and  called  to  us  '  We 
went  to  him,  and  he  asked  us  what  we  thought  of  the 
lands  around  Albany.    We  answered,  they  were  very 


RELIGIOUS  EXPERIENCES. 


337 


good,  but  limited,  being  flats  bere  and  there,  and  that 
tbe  woodland,  in  particular,  was  not  worth  much.  But, 
he  said,  you  have  not  been  to  Wappings  Ml.  We  replied, 
that  we  had  not.  That  is,  be  rejoined,  a  beautiful  place, 
about  three-quarters  of  an  hour  inland,  on  a  fine  creek 
which  you  can  navigate  with  yachts,  and  it  lies  just  through 
the  Highlands,  directly  opposite  the  Dans  kamer.  And  with 
that  he  left  us. 

16th,  Thursday.  As  there  was  still  a  portion  of  our  small 
stock  of  goods  remaining,  we  traded  it  with  de  la  Grange, 
who  expected  his  boat  from  the  South  river  with  peltries 
and  other  articles,  with  which  he  would  pay  us. 

11th,  Friday.  The  boat  which  they  had  said  would  sail 
to-morrow,  was  posted  to  sail  next  "Wednesday ;  but  we 
think  it  will  be  postponed  still  longer. 

18th,  Saturday.    "We  prepared  our  letters  for  patria. 

19th,  Sunday.  A  ship  arrived  from  the  Barbadoes.  One 
had  also  arrived  last  week  from  London,  which  had  been 
six  weeks  and  three  days  on  the  voyage ;  but  we  did  not 
receive  any  letters,  nor  did  de  la  Grange,  and  we  could 
learn  nothing  certain. 

Meanwhile  we  conversed  with  several  persons  who 
came  to  visit  us,  among  others  with  a  woman  who  had 
undergone  several  years  ago,  some  remarkable  experiences ; 
of  a  light  shining  upon  her  while  she  was  reading  in  the 
New  Testament  about  the  sufferings  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
which  frightened  her  very  much.  It  did  not  continue 
long  but  soon  passed  off ;  yet  it  left,  nevertheless,  such  a 
joy  and  testimony  in  her  heart  as  she  could  not  describe. 
She  kept  it  to  herself,  without  making  it  known  to  anyone 
except  only  one  woman.  Some  years  afterwards,  while 
lying  abed  in  the  morning,  she  heard  a  voice  which  said 
to  her,  she  must  make  this  glory  known,  which  she  did  do 
to  Domine  Nieuwenhuise,  who  told  her  he  did  not  know 
what  to  say.  She  had  also  mentioned  it  to  others,  and  to 
43 


338 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


one  man  who  played  the  part  of  a  wise  man,  hut  who  was 
not  a  good  man.'  He  said  to  her,  "you  must  not  go  any 
more  to  church,  for  you  are  wise  enough,  and  will  hecome 
still  wiser.  You  must  not  go  to  the  Lord's  Supper,  for 
the  Lord  has  said,  '  do  that  until  I  come,' "  and  many 
other  such  things,  in  order  to  frighten  the  poor  woman. 
He  once  came  to  her  house  and  asked  her  very  harshly 
and  roughly,  why  she  continued  to  do  so,  and  in  whose 
hands  she  would  rather  fall,  into  the  hands  of  God,  or  the 
hands  of  men  ?  She  said,  poor  woman,  in  the  words  of 
David,  "  Rather  in  God*s  hands."  "  And  I  not,"  said  he  ; 
"  I  would  rather  fall  in  the  hands  of  men,"  and  then  went 
away.  This  has  so  sorely  disturhed  this  poor  woman, 
that  for  a  long  time,  she  has  not  known  what  to  do ;  for 
not  to  go  to  church,  and  to  leave  the  Lord's  Supper,  she 
could  not  in  her  heart  consent.  We  told  her  that  as  re- 
gains what  had  happened  to  her,  many  thingshad  occurred 
to  us,  and  further,  what  was  serviceable  therein,  without, 
however,  condemning  them  in  her;  hut,  that  the  person 
Avho  had  so  spoken  to  her  was  a  false  teacher,  and  she 
must  be  cautious  of  him ;  that  for  herself  in  all  these  and 
the  like  matters,  she  must  seek  for  true  grace,  for  a  new 
heart  and  power  unto  true  repentance  of  life,  and  for  true 
humility  of  soul  and  renunciation  of  herself  and  the  world. 
And,  thereupon,  she  left.  Her  name  was  Marie.  She  was 
a  Frenchwoman;  and  her  husband,  a  Frenchman,  who  had 
also  been  to  us  twice.  He  was  the'  son  of  Pierre  Jardinier 
of  whom  we  have  before  spoken.  He  had  a  book  with  the 
title  of  Le  Grand  Heraut,  &c,  which  he  highly  esteemed ; 
but  he  was  a  real  reformed,  of  France,  as  they  said.  The 
other  person,  who  played  the  wise  man,  was  also  a  French- 
man. His  name  was  Nicolas  de  la  Pleyne,  a  relation  of  her's 
and  professed  to  be  of  the  reformed.  He  had  not,  for  a 
long  time,  been  to  the  Lord's  Supper,  but  had  now  gone  to 
it  again.    He  was  a  tobacco  twister  by  trade. 


AN  IMPORTANT  PROMISE. 


339 


We  wrote  up  the  river  to  Robert  Sanders,  of  Albany, 
and  to  the  poor  sick  man  at  the  Hysopus,  sending  him  a 
vomitorium  by  Meus  Hoogboom.  We  also  went  to  see  the 
Boston  skipper,  but  he  had  not  obtained  any  freight. 

22th,  Wednesday.  Mr.  Reinclerman  arrived  over  land 
from  the  South  river,  leaving  Ephraim  still  there.  He 
started  the  same  day  that  de  la  Grange  left  there,  but  was 
not  able  to  overtake  him.  He  had  been  all  this  time  on 
the  road,  and  had  had  a  difficult  journey,  in  consequence 
of  there  being  so  much  water  upon  the  land. 

2M,  Thursday.  We  went  again  to  inquire  after  our  boat, 
and  found  that  the  time  was  changed  for  the  voyage,  which 
made  it  a  great  inconvenience  to  us  to  be  here  so  long, 
without  being  able  to  accomplish  any  thing.  But  some 
other  Boston  vessels  had  arrived,  which,  they  said,  would 
return  the  first  opportunity. 

2ith,  Friday.  Ephraim  arrived  from  the  South  river  at 
noon  to-day,  with  his  wife,  and  her  sister's  mother,  and 
other  company,  over  land. 

25^/i,  Saturday.  We  went  this  forenoon  to  welcome  him. 
He  was  still  very  much  attached  to  us,  and  so  was  his  wife, 
and  both  were  persuaded  and  touched  with  the  love  which 
we  had  shown  them,  and  the  wife  particularly,  for  the 
favor  I  had  granted  her,  in  sending  her  the  translation  of 
the  Verheffinge  des  Gestes,  in  reading  which,  she  had  ex- 
perienced great  enjoyment,  and  had  been  sometimes 
tenderly  affected.  She  thanked  us  for  the  little  parcel  of 
braided  goods,  we  had  sent  her,  which  had  been  very 
agreeable  to  her.  He  promised,  moreover,  if  it  should  please 
God  to  call  us  again  into  this  country  to  live  and  to  esta- 
blish his  beloved  church,  we  need  not  be  at  a  loss  to  find  a 
place ;  that  the  land  which  belonged  to  him,  namely,  Bohe- 
mia in  Maryland,  where  his  father  lived,  and  of  which  we 
have  before  spoken,  should  with  his  consent,  be  applied  to 
no  other  purpose;  that  it  should  never  go  into  English 


340  THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 

bands,  hoping  that  God  would  give  him  this  grace.  He 
had  brought  with  him  a  piece  of  spermaceti,  a  portion  of 
winch  he  presented  to  us.    He  told  us  of  the  disposition  of 
the  heart  of  the  Ileer  Jan  Moll,  towards  us,  who  showed 
us  so  much  friendship,  as  we  have  before  related,  and  will 
show  us  all  possible  kindness  in  the  future;  that  he  had 
taken  well  to  heart  what  we  had  commended  to  him,  and 
had  even  reformed  several  matters  in  his  household,'  and 
otherwise;  and  how  it  grieved  him  that  Domine  Tesse- 
maker  had  not  grace  or  ability  enough  to  accomplish  any 
thing  serious  in  the  congregation  there,  of  which  he  was 
the  elder,  as  well  as  president  of  the  king's  court.  His 
wife  was  so  far  gone  in  consumption,  that  they  saw  no 
hope  of  her  recovery. 

26ih,  Sunday.  Domine  Niewenhuyse  being  sick,  there 
was  no  preaching  yet  to-day. 

27th,  Monday.  We  went  to  call  upon  Ephraim  again,  in 
order  to  speak  to  him  particularly,  but  did  not  succeed  in 
consequence  of  his  being  visited  so  much,  the  more  so 
because  his  wife's  sister  was  soon  to  be  married. 

28th,  Tuesday.  The  supercargo  of  the  last  arrived  Boston 
vessel,  named  Padechal,  was  at  M.  van  Clief  s,  who  spoke  to 
him  about  our  wishes,  and  he  promised  to  give  us  every  at- 
tention and  accommodation,  and  that  he  would  leave  in 
the  coming  week.  This  inspired  us  with  new  hope  of 
getting  away  finally  after  so  much  delay. 

Wednesday.  The  -before  mentioned  Boston  trader 
came  to  speak  with  us  himself,  at  the  house*  of  M.  van 
Cleif.  We  talked  with  him,  and  he  promised  us  every 
thing  fair.  The  fare  from  ^ew  York  to  Boston  is  twenty 
shillings,  in  English  money  for  each  person,  which  with 
the  loss  of  exchange,  is  a  pound  sterling  in  the  money  of 
Old  England,  which  certainly  is  dear  enough. 

30^,  Thursday.  It  was  now  Ascension  day,  according  to 
the  old  style,  a  day  greatly  observed  by  the  English.  It 


THE  BURNT  MILL.   THE  WALEBOCHT.  341 


reminded  us  of  the  day  we  left  home  on  our  travels,  which 
was  Ascension  day,  old  style.  "We  wrote  to-clay  to  Robert 
Sanders  at  Albany,  in  order,  as  we  were  so  long  in  New 
York  contrary  to  our  intentions,  he  might  regulate  him- 
self in  the  matter  of  our  poor  Wouter,  the  Indian,  who, 
according  to  our  mutual  understanding,  was  to  go  to 
Boston  by  land,  with  an  address  from  Mr.  Robert  Sanders, 
to  one  John  Pisgcon,  merchant,  of  that  city,  so  that  we 
might  find  him,  or  he  us,  in  order  to  go  to  Europe  with 
us,  which  he  so  earnestly  desired,  and  we  endeavored  with 
our  whole  heart  to  effect ;  and  as  this  could  not  well  be 
done  by  the  way  of  York,  on  account  of  the  governor  and 
other  hindrances,  we  had  chosen  that  way,  as  it  seemed  to 
us  the  best. 

M.  de  la  Grange  came  with  his  wife  to  invite  me  to 
accompany  them  in  their  boat  to  the  Wale  bocht,  a  place 
situated  on  Long  Island,  almost  an  hour's  distance  below 
the  city,  directly  opposite  .Correlaers  hoeck,  from  whence  I 
had  several  times  observed  the  place,  which  appeared  to 
me  very  pleasant,  although  I  had  never  been  there.  He 
had  an  old  aunt  and  other  friends  living  there.  We  set 
off  accordingly  in  the  boat,  but  the  strong  flood  tide 
carried  us  beyond  the  bocht  (bay),  to  a  place  called  the 
Burnt  Mill  #(  Verbrande  Ifeulen),  where  we  could  let  the 
tide  run  out.  Meanwhile,  we  fished  a  little,  but  we  caught 
nothing  except  a  small  codfish.  From  there  we  landed  on 
the  Mahatans,  a  little  north  of  the  Burnt  mill,  on  a  beauti- 
ful farm,  having  two  fine  ponds  of  water  before  the  door, 
where  a  mill  was  standing.  These  ponds  were  full  of  sun- 
fish,  and  other  fish,  some  of  which  we  caught.  The  flood 
having  run  out  at  noon,  we  left  there  and  arrived  about 
two  o'clock  at  the  Wale  bocht.  This  is  a  bay  tolerably 
wide  where  the  water  rises  and  falls  much,  and  at  low 
water,  is  very  shallow  and  much  of  it  dry.  Inside  of  the 
easterly  point  there  was  a  ship  aground,  which  had  struck 


342 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


on  the  reef  of  rocks  which  put  out  from  Corker's  hook 
towards  this  bay,  and  had  floated  over  here  and  sunk.  She 
was  a  French  privateer,  which  had  taken  some  rich  Dutch 
prizes  in  the  hay  of  Cainpeachy  and  was  going  through 
here  to  New  England,  in  order  to  dispose  of  the  goods 
which  would  not  bring  money  enough  in  New  York. 
There  were  many  goods  still  in  the  sunken  ship,  and  they 
have  tried  several  times  to  raise  her,  but  to  no  purpose. 
We  went  ashore  here,  and  observed  several  kinds  of 
fish,  which  I  had  not  seen  before  in  this  country,  such  as 
flounders,  plaice,  sole,  &c.  The  aunt  of  de  la  Grange,  is 
an  old  Walloon  from  Valenciennes,  seventy-four  years  old. 
She  is  worldly-minded,  living  with  her  whole  heart,  as 
well  as  body,  among  her  progeny,  which  now  number  145, 
and  will  soon  reach  150.  Nevertheless,  she  lived  alone  by 
herself,  a  little  apart  from  the  others,  having  her  little 
garden,  and  other  conveniences,  with  which  she  helped 
herself.1  The  ebb  tide  left  our  boat  aground,  and  we  were 
compelled  to  wait  for  the  flood  to  set  her  afloat.  De  la 
Grange  having  to  train  next  week  with  all  the  rest  of 
the  people,  at  New  York,  bespoke  here  a  man  to  go  as  his 
substitute.  The  flood  tide  having  made,  we  arrived  home 
by  evening. 

31*/,  Friday.  We  sold  to  the  wife  of  Evert,  fjie  late  mate 
of  our  ship,  a  small  looking-glass,  a  steel  thimble,  a  pound 


1  This  woman,  in  some  respects  an  historical  personage,  was  Catalina 
Trico,  one  of  five  of  her  sex,  who  came  over  in  1623,  in  the  first  ship  sent 
out  to  New  Netherland  by  the  West  India  Company.  She  married  Joris 
Jansen  de  Rapalje,  by  whom  she  had  ten  children.  She  went  first  to  live 
at  Fort  Orange,  where  she  resided  three  years,  and  where  her  first  child, 
Sarah,  "  the  first  born  Christian  daughter  in  New  Netherland,"  was  born, 
on  the  9th  of  June,  1625.  She  afterwards  settled  at  the  Waleboght,  where 
she  died  September  11,  1689,  aged  84  years.  Her  depositions  made  the 
year  before  her  death,  to  be  found  in  the  Documentary  History  of  New  York, 
III,  31-2  (4to,  edition)  49-51,  (8vo,  edition),  establish  the  time  of  her 
arrival  in  this  country,  and  her  first  residence. 


PETER  BAYARD.  343 

and  a  half  of  white  darning  yarn,  and  a  half  a  pound  of 
brown  thread,  for  which  she  gave  us  a  piece  of  eight. 

June  1st,  Saturday.  Nothing  transpired  to-day,  except 
several  persons  came  to  converse  with  us,  to  each  of  whom 
we  spoke  according  to  his  state. 

2d,  Sunday.  There  was  no  preaching  in  consequence  of 
Domine  Mewenhuise's  continued  sickness.  Ephraim  and 
his  wife,  among  others,  called  upon  us,  and  we  had  several 
conversations  with  them,  and  satisfied  them  in  regard  to 
our  departure. 

3d,  Monday.  We  went  to  enquire  whether  our  voyage 
would  take  place,  as  they  said,  on  Wednesday.  They 
now  fixed  the  last  of  the  week,  which  did  not  please  us 
a  great  deal,  because  there  was  so  much  fine  weather  pass- 
ing away  without  our  being  able  to  do  any  thing ;  and 
also  because  we  discovered  we  could  depend  as  little  upon 
the  word  of  the  people  of  JSTew  England,  as  of  others, 
although  they  wished  to  pass  for  more  upright  persons, 
which  we  have  not  been  able  to  perceive. 

4:th,  Tuesday.  We  were  again  visited  by  several  persons, 
and  also  by  Ephraim,  and  one  Pieter  JBeyaert,  a  deacon  of 
the  Dutch  Church,  a  very  good  sort  of  person  whom  God, 
the  Lord,  began  to  touch  and  enlighten,  both  in  regard  to 
the  destination  of  the  world  in  general  and  of  himself  in 
particular.    He  had  a  good  intention  to  perform,  through 


It  will  be  observed,  that  the  record,  which  styles  her  daughter,  Sarah, 
"  the  first-born  Christian  daughter  in  New  Netherland,"  (Benson's  Memoir 
in  New  York  Jlisiorical  Collection,  II,  94,  second  series),  does  not  conflict 
with  the  statement  of  Jean  Vigne  {ante,  p.  114),  that  he  was  the  first  male 
bom  here  of  European  parents;  although,  Judge  Benson,  and  others, 
from  this  record  only,  call  her  the  first  born  child. 

Some  further  particulars  in  regard  to  Catalina  Trico,  and  her  daughter 
Sarah,  who  married  Hans  Hansen  Bergen,  the  ancestor  of  the  Bergen 
family,  in  this  country,  may  be  found  in  the  genealogy  of  The  Bergen 
Family,  12,  et  seq. 


344 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


the  grace  of  God,  whatever  God  convicted  .liiin  the  truth 
of ;  for,  he  said,  he  had  for  Home  time  past  felt  that  God 
had  some  purpose  concerning  him,  and  to  incite  him  to 
serve  God  with  more  earnestness ;  but  it  was  impossible  to 
do  60  in  the  city,  and  in  this  city  of  traders,  where  he 
lived;  and  as  he  observed  the  hand  and  providence  of  God 
in  this  matter  because  there  had  fallen  to  him  a  good  piece 
of  land  and  farm,  without  any  effort  of  his ;  and  as  he  felt 
thaf  a  private  life  was  better  for  him,  and  brought  him 
nearer  to  God,  he  intended  to  abandon  the  city  and  com- 
merce and  go  and  live  upon  his  farm,  which  is  on  the 
South  river,  a  small  distance  below  where  Caspar  Hermans 
lives.  We  said  to  him  on  this  subject  what  we  believed 
he  was  in  need  of,  which  he  received  kindly. 

The  large  ship  of  Frederick  Flipsen,  of  which  Singleton 
was  captain,  besides  being  lank  of  herself,  was  also  very 
badly  stowed  and  laden.  In  attempting  to  run  out  to  sea, 
she  was  compelled  to  put  hack  to  Staten  Island,  in  order  to 
be  restowed,  which  delays  his  voyage  for  several  weeks. 

5th,  Wednesday.  We  now  learned  that  our  voyage  was 
postponed  until  Monday,  and  perhaps  longer,  so  little 
calculation  can  be  made  upon  voyages  in  these  parts. 

(ill,  Thursday.  We  visited  Theunis,  whom  we  found 
well,  the  Lord  confirming  and  strengthening  him  in  the 
grace  he  had  manifested  towards  him,  which  comforted  us, 
and  we  wished  him  the  blessing  of  the  Lord. 

7(h,  Friday.  We  went  to  take  our  leave  of  the  lord  go- 
vernor, who  was  very  much  engaged  with  the  officers  of 
the  burghers,  who  were  to  train  the  next  day,  and  also 
with  the  affair  of  the  Lord  Carteret,  governor  of  Xew 
Jersey.  After  we  had  been  waiting  a  long  time,  he  ob- 
served us  and  called  us.  He  asked  us  what  we  came  to 
say,  not  with  his  accustomed  kindness,  but  a  little 
peevishly,  as  if  he  were  tired  of  us  and  we  annoyed  him. 
We  answered,  we  came  to  take  our  leave  of  him,  as  we 


MILITIA  TRAINING. 


345 


intended  to  leave  for  Boston,  and  to  thank  him  for  the 
favor  and  kindness  he  had  shown  us.  He  enquired  with 
whom  we  were  going ;  and  we  named  the  person.  He  then 
asked,  when;  and  we  said  on  Monday.  Well,  said  he, 
you  will  undoubtedly  find  there  in  the  east  a  better  oppor- 
tunity than  you  have  found  here.  We  felt  that  he  said 
this  in  irony;  and  replied,  we  did  not  think  so,  as  we  had 
seen  several  good  situations  within  his  government,  and 
had  been  informed  they  were  not  so  good  at  the  east.  He 
cut  off  the  conversation  by  wishing  us  a  happy  voyage,  for 
which  we  thanked  him  and  left.  We  also  went  to  take 
leave  of  Frederick  Flipsen,  whom  we  requested,  in  case  any 
letters  addressed  to  us  came  into  his  hands,  he  would  be  so 
kind  as  to  direct  them  to  us  in  the  Fatherland,  which  order 
we  afterwards  changed,  and  gave  to  M.  de  la  Grange, 
because  we  were  apprehensive,  as  he  and  the  governor  were 
one,  it  might  be  that  our  letters,  coming  from  the  Father- 
land, had  been  withheld  from  us  by  them,  as  some  persons 
had  absolutely  declared,  and  others  had  half  insinuated.1 

8th,  Saturday.  There  was  a  training  and. muster  to-day, 
which  had  not  taken  place  before  in  two  years,  because  the 
small-pox  had  prevailed  so  much  the  last  year.  Some 
were  on  horseback,  and  six  small  companies  were  on  foot. 
They  were  exercised  in  military  tactics,  but  I  have  never 
seen  anything  worse  of  the  kind.  They  comprised  all  the 
force  of  New  York  and  the  adjacent  places.  Dfc  la  Grange, 
who  supposed  he  could  put  in  a  substitute,  had  to  appear 
on  horseback  himself,  although  some  who  were  to  come 
so,  did  substitute  others  in  their  places. 

This  day  was  the  anniversary  of  our  departure  from  home, 
and  we  would  have  now  taken  our  departure  from  here,  if 
it  had  not  been  postponed. 


1  See  note  at  the  end  of  this  chapter  in  regard  to  Frederick  Phillipse  and 
his  wife  Margaret. 

44 


346 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


9th,  Sunday.  Pinxter  (Whitsunday).  Domine  Nicwen- 
huyse,  having  recovered  from  his  sickness,  we  went  to 
hear  him  preach,  in  order  not  to  give  any  cause  of  offense 
at  the  last.    His  text  was  the  usual  one. 

10th,  Monday.  The  second  day  of  Pinxter.  We  had 
several  visitor.-*  whom  we  received  with  love  and  affection, 
each  one  according  to  his  circumstances. 

11th,  Tuesday.  We  called  upon  Kphraim, from  whom  we 
received  in  charge  some  spermaceti,  with  orders  to  send 
him  from  Amsterdam  a  good  new  Bible.  He  presented  us 
on  behalf  of  his  wife,  who  was  not  at  home,  two  beautiful 
otter  skins,  which  we  dared  not  refuse,  and  accepted  with 
thanks. 

The  governor,  attended  by  his  whole  retinue  of  ladies 
and  gentlemen,  escorted  Carteret,  the  governor  of  New 
Jersey,  in  great  pomp,  home  to  Achter  kol.  As  we  are 
now  about  to  leave  New  York,  and  the  affair  of  the  Heer 
Carteret  appears  to  be  finished,  which  happening  during 
our  stay  here,  we  would  have  noticed  from  time  to  time, 
only  we  thought  it  was  not  well  to  write  then  what  we 
saw,  for  various  reasons,  we  do  not  regard  it  improper 
now  to  state  what  we  heard  of  it. 

These  two  governors  lived  at  first  in  friendship  and  con- 
cord. C.arteret  came  often  to  New  York,  and  generally  to 
church,  when  he  usually  went  to  the  governor's,  in  the 
fort.  A  difference  afterwards  arose  between  them,  but 
the  cause  of  it  I  have  not  heard,  or  whether  it  was  per- 
sonal or  puhlid  It  is  certain,  however,  that  the  governor 
of  New  York  wished  to  bring  Carteret  and  his  government, 
to  some  extent,  in  subordination  to  him.  Carteret  claimed 
to  be  as  perfectly  governor  of  his  province,  as  the  other  was 
of  his,  and  to  possess  the  same  prerogatives  as  the  governor 
of  New  York,  and  even  more  than  he,  in  respect  to  trade  and 
other  privileges.  The  governor  of  New  York  disputed  with 
him  all  right  of  navigation,  declaring  the  North  river  was 


ABDUCTION  OF  GOVERNOR  CARTERET.  347 


under  his  own  jurisdiction,  and,  therefore,  all  persons  who 
passed  in  or  out  of  it,  must  acknowledge  him,  pay  him  duties, 
and  even  unlade  there,  and  actually  commenced  seizing 
some  vessels.  Carteret  thereupon  complained  to  England, 
and  the  governor  of  New  York  sent  Captain  Dyer  over 
there  as  a  commissioner,  which  he  disavowed  with  an  oath, 
as  it  is  said.  This  Dyer  returned  with  skipper  Jacob,  or 
about  that  time,  but  with  what  instructions  I  do  not  know. 
There  also  arrived  with  him  a  collector  for  Boston,  on 
behalf  of  the  king,  as  they  said,  which  was  contrary  to 
their  privileges  of  liberties,  and  he  was,  therefore,  never 
acknowledged  as  such  by  the  merchants  there.1  Frorn  this 
time  forth  the  governor  of  New  York  began  to  act  more 
stringently  towards  Carteret,  and  also  towards  his  own  sub- 
jects. Carteret  obtaining  information  of  what  had  been 
done  in  England  by  Captain  Dyer,  called  together  all  the 
principal  men  among  his  people,  who  represented  under 
their  signatures  the  circumstances  of  the  case,  and  sent  the 
paper  to  England.  The  governor  of  New  York  went  to 
Staten  Island,  as  to  the  jurisdiction  over  which  they  disa- 
greed, and  sent  for  Carteret  to  come  there  in  order,  as  he 
said,  to  negotiate  with  him  in  peace  and  friendship.  Car- 
teret probably  perceiving  his  purpose,  refused  to  go,  and 
requested  of  him  if  he  had  any  thing  necessary  to  com- 
municate to  come  to  him,  as  he  was  now  not  far  from  his 
residence,  and  as  he,  Carteret,  had  been  so  frequently  at 
the  fort  in  New  York,  he  should  come  once  to  his  house, 
where  he  might  be  assured  he  would  be  welcome.  Here- 
upon the  governor  returned  again  to  New  York  with  his 
object  unaccomplished,  and  shortly  afterwards,  by  procla- 
mation, declared  the  nullity  of  the  government  of  Carteret ; 
that  at  the  most  he  was  only  the  head  of  a  colony,  namely, 
New  Jersey ;  and  that  he  was  guilty  of  misusing  the  king's 


1  This  has  reference  undoubtedly  to  Edward  Randolph. 


348  THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 

i 

name,  power  and  authority.  He  sent  boats  several  times 
to  Achter  kol  to  demand  the  submission  of  the  place  to  bis 
authority,  which  the  people  of  Achter  kol  jeered  at  and  dis- 
regarded, being  ready  to  uphold  the  king  and  their  own 
governor,  whom  they  bound  themselves  by  an  oath  to 
maintain.  This  occurred  repeatedly,  and  Carteret  said  that 
so  far  from  wishing  himself  to  oppose  it,  he  would,  on  the 
contrary,  immediately  submit,  if  the  governor  of  New  York 
would  produce  the  least  authority  from  the  king  for  what 
he  claimed  or  did.  He,  however,  never  brought  forward 
any  thing  of  the  kind,  but  continued  his  proceedings ;  and, 
at  night,  and  unseasonable  hours,  and  by  surprise,  took 
from  New  Jersey  all  the  staves  of  the  constables  out 
of  their  houses,  which  was  as  much  as  to  deprive  them  of 
the  power  to  act.  Seeing  he  could  accomplish  nothing  by 
force,  he  declared  the  inhabitants  released  from  their  oaths 
to  the  Heer  Carteret;  they  answered  they  could  not 
acknowledge  any  release  from  their  oaths,  unless  by  the 
same  authority  which  had  required  it  of  them  or  the 
exhibition  of  a  higher  one,  that  of  the  king.  At  length  he 
corrupted  one  of  Carteret's  domestics,  for  Carteret  had  no 
soldiers  or  fortifications,  but  resided  in  a  country  house 
only.  He  then  equipped  some  yachts  and  a  ketch  with 
soldiers,  arms,  and  ammunition,  and  despatched  them  to 
Achter  kol  in  order  to  abduct  Carteret  in  any  manner  it 
could  be  done.  They  entered  his  house,  I  know  not  how, 
at  midnight,  seized  him  naked,  dragged  him  through  the 
window,  struck  and  kicked  him  terribly,  and  even  injured 
him  internally.  They  threw  him,  all  naked  as  he  "was, 
into  a  canoe,  without  any  cap  or  hat  on  his  head,  and 
carried  him  in  that  condition  to  Xew  York  where  they 
furnished  him  clothes  and  shoes  and  stockings,  and  then 
conducted  him  to  the  fort  and  put  him  immediately  in 
prison.  When  they  seized  him  at  Achter  kol  the  armed 
boats  had  gone  home,  and  the  seizure  was  accomplished 


TRIAL  OF  CARTERET.  349 

t' 


through  treachery.  Two  of  the  head  men  of  Carteret 
immediately  took  possession  of  his  papers,  such  as  were  of 
importance  to  him  and  traveled,  one  to  Maryland,  and  the 
other,  crossing  the  upper  part  of  the  North  river,  to 
Boston  over  land,  and  both  to  England,  in  order  to  re- 
monstrate. The  governor  sent  immediately  to  Achter  kol, 
took  possession  of  the  place,  posted  up  orders,  and  caused 
inquiries  to  be  made  for  the  man  who  had  set  Carteret 
over  the  river,  but  without  success. 

While  Carteret  was  in  prison  he  was  sick,  very  sick, 
they  said,  in  regard  to  which  there  were  various  surmises. 
Meanwhile  a  court  of  assizes  was  convened,  to  which  on 
every  occasion  the  governor  was  conducted  by  three 
trumpeters  in  advance  of  him.  Carteret  was  brought  be- 
fore the  same  court,  after  him.  The  governor  had  caused  , 
a  seat  to  be  erected  in  the  court  room  high  up  above  all 
the  others,  and  higher  than  usual ;  on  which  he  sat.  Go- 
vernor Carteret,  as  a  criminal,  was  in  the  middle.  The 
court  being  seated,  the  governor  presented  Carteret  as 
guilty  of  misusing  the  king's  name,  power,  and  authority, 
and  usurping  the  government  of  New  Jersey ;  that  he  was 
only  the  head  of  a  colony,  &c.  Whereupon,  Carteret  hav- 
ing the  right  to  speak,  said,  it  was  far  from  his  intention 
to  seek  to  defend  his  case  before  that  court ;  he  did  not 
acknowledge  it  as  a  court  having  power  to  decide  his  case, 
because,  in  the  first  place  the  question  could  not  be  de- 
termined in  a  court  of  assizes,  as  it  did  not  concern  a 
private  right,  but  the  right  of  the  king ;  in  the  next  place, 
if  such  a  question  could  be  disposed  of  in  such  a  court, 
this,  nevertheless,  could  not  act,  because  he  was  not  subject 
to  its  jurisdiction;  and  thirdly,  because  it  was  a  court  of 
one  party,  and  he  said  this  without  wishing  to  offend  any 
of  the  individual  members  of  the  court;  yet,  notwith- 
standing all  this  he  was  content  that  he  and  his  case  should 
be  brought  before  them  in  order  that  they  might  be  wit- 


350 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


nesses  of  what  was  done  and  to  be  done.    As  to  what  the 
governor  of  New  York  alleged,  he  said  it  was  wonderful 
to  him  that  he  should  be  thus  treated,  and  that  they  should 
dispute  a  mutter  which  neither  the  governor  of  New  York 
nor  his  court,  nor  any  one  in  the  world  had  ever  disputed, 
or  with  reason  could  dispute.    The  governor  said  he  had 
never  acknowledged  him  as  governor  of  New  Jersey. 
It  is  surprising,  said  Carteret,  that  at  one  time  there  can 
be  disavowed  before  all  the  world,  what  has  been  assented 
to  before  all  the  world  at  another;  and  thereupon  he  took 
out  of  his  pocket,  several  letters  of  the  governor  of  New 
York  all  addressed  to  the  governor  of  New  Jersey.  The 
governor  did  not  know  what  to  say  to  this  except  that  he 
had  so  directed  them,  because  Carteret  was  generally 
styled  governor,  and  not  because  he  was  so  in  fact;  "  for," 
said  he,  "although  I  have  done  that, can  I, therefore,  make 
you  governor?"    "No,"  replied  Carteret,  "  hut  the  king 
has  made  me  governor,  and  you  as  well  as  all  the  world 
have  acknowledged  me  as  such."    The  acts  of  the  king 
in  relation  to  the  governorship  were  then  produced,  and 
it  was  found  that  the  one  to  Carteret  was  some  time 
older  than  that  to  the  governor  of  New  York,  and,  there- 
fore, said  Carteret,  it  is  to  be  preferred.    The  governor 
of  New  York  replied,  "  mine  is  younger,  and  yours  is 
therefore  annulled  by  it.'"    "That  is  to  be  shown,"  re- 

*Sir  George  Carteret,  as  already  observed,  derived  his  title  to  East 
Jersey  from  the  Duke  of  York,  first  by  deed  to  him  and  Lord  Berkeley 
jointly  on  24th  June,  16G4,  of  the  whole  ofNew  Jersey,  and  afterwards  by 
confirmatory  deed  to  himself  alone  on  29th  July,  1674,  of  East  Jersey  ac- 
cording to  the  partition  between  him  and  Lord  Berkeley.  On  the  day  last 
mentioned  the  king  had  confirmed  the  grant  to  the  Duke  of  York 
of  the  whole  territory  between  Connecticut  river  and  Delaware  bay' 
These  confirmatory  patents  were  deemed  necessary  in  consequence  of  the 
intermediate  reconquest  of  the  country  by  the  Dutch.  But  before  they 
were  made,  king  Charles  issued  his  proclamation  dated  the  13th  of  June 
1674,  acknowledging  the  title  of  Sir  George  Carteret  to  East  Jersey  and 


AN  INDEPENDENT  JURY. 


351 


joined  Carteret.  Although  the  governor  of  New  York 
had  employed  a  lawyer,  he  could  not  succeed.  When  at 
last  the  jury  retired,  in  order  to  consult  among  themselves, 
Carteret  exhibited  letters  from  the  king  himself,  in  which 
he  called  him  governor  of  New  Jersey.  The  jury  re- 
turned and  declared  Carteret  not  guilty  of  what  was 
charged  against  him.  The  governor  made  them  retire  a 
second  time,  saying  to  them  it  would  be  well  for  them  to 
consider  what  they  did,  as  more  depended  upon  the  matter 
than  they  imagined.  They  came  back  a  second  time  with 
the  same  verdict.  "Whereupon  the  governor  became  very 
angry,  and  caused  them  to  go  out  again  with  threats  that 
they  should  look  to  what  they  did  as  there  was  too  much 
depended  upon  it,  for  themselves,  their  entire  condition 
and  welfare.  Whereupon  Carteret  told  them  they  had 
nothing  to  fear  in  committing  themselves  into  the  king's 
own  hands  who  had  given  him  authority.  Again  the  jury 
returned  and  gave  in  the  same  verdict :  that  as  Carteret 
was  not  under  them  and  did  not  acknowledge  them  as  his 
judges,  they  could  not  do  otherwise  in  the  case  ;  but  they 
advised  Carteret  to  return  to  his  house  and  business  at 
Achter  kol  as  a  private  individual  until  the  case  be  de- 
cided by  higher  authority,  which  Carteret  was  willing  to 
do,  not  because  it  was  a  sentence  of  theirs  against  him,  or 
even  their  advice,  but  because  he  was  compelled  to  do  so 
and  could  not  at  that  time  do  otherwise.  And  thus  the 
affair  stood  at  our  departure,  the  governor  taking  him 
back  to  Achter  kol  with  all  the  magnificence  he  could. 
Some  think  this  was  all  a  made  up  piece  of  work,  and 
that  the  governor  of  New  York  only  sought  to  possess  the 
government  and  had  no  design  against  the  person  of 

his  right  to  govern  the  same.  Andros  was  commissioned  governor  by  the 
Duke  of  York,  of  his  territories,  on  1st  July,  1G74.  Learning  and  Spicer, 
49,  et  ante.  It  is  this  state  of  the  case  undoubtedly  that  was  exhibited  in 
Governor  Carteret's  trial. 


352 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


Carteret;  and  having  obtained  what  he  wanted,  had  no 
other  or  better  means  than  to  release  him  with  some  show. 
The  principal  persons  who  have  assisted  the  governor 
herein,  are  Captain  Dyer  before  mentioned,  Captain 
Nicols,  and  some  others.  This  matter  transpired  before 
all  the  world.  The  principal  speeches  which  were  made 
in  court  were  related  to  us  and  as  regards  the  other 
transactions  we  saw  them.  It  is  fortunate  we  were  there 
when  the  affair  terminated,  as  we  were  thus  enabled  to 
understand  the  nature  of  this  government  as  well  as  of  the 
governor.1 


1  A  brief  account  of  his  trial  written  by  Carteret  himself,  though  not 
quite  so  circumstantial  in  all  respects  as  that  here  given,  is  to  be  found  in 
Learning  and  Spicer,  683-4.    "My  imprisonment,"  he  says,  "was  five 
weeks  before  they  brought  me  to  trial.    When  I  came  to  my  trial  my  in- 
tention at  first  was  not  to  have  entered  a  plea,  and  to  have  protested 
against  the  jurisdiction  of  the  court;  but  finding  the  court  over-ruled  by 
him,  I  was  forced  to  enter  a  plea  and  pleaded  not  guilty  of  what  he  al- 
leged against  me  in  my  presentment,  and  was  also  ready  to  make  out  and 
justify  my  actings  as  governor  of  New  Jersey  to  be  legal  and  by  virtue  of 
power  derived  from  the  king,  to  which  purpose  recommended  to  the  view 
of  the  court  my  commission  with  other  instructions  to  manifest  the  same 
which  was  delivered  with  a  charge  to  the  jury,  who  after  a  perusal  of  the 
same  were  to  make  a  return  of  their  verdict  concerning  it,  with  their  ver- 
dict in  matter  of  fact,  which  was  thus  brought  in  by  the  jury  :  The  prisoner 
at  the  bar  not  guilty.    Upon  which  he  asked  them  questions  and  de- 
manded their  reasons,  which  I  pleaded  was  contrary  to  law  for  a  jury  to 
give  reasons  after  their  verdict  given  in.    Nevertheless  he  sent  them  twice 
or  thrice  out,  giving  them  new  charges,  which  I  pleaded  as  at  first  to  be 
contrary  to  law,  notwithstanding  the  last  verdict  of  the  jury  being  ac- 
cording to  the  first  brought  in  by  them,  Tfte  prisoner  at  the  bar  not  guilty, 
upon  which  I  was  acquitted  accordingly."    There  seems  to  be  no  reasona- 
ble doubt  that  these  proceedings  of  governor  Andros  were  carried  on 
under  the  sanction  of  the  duke,  that  the  visit  of  Captain  Dyer,  to  England 
as  explained  by  our  journalist,  was  made  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  in- 
structions on  this  point,  that  he  brought  them  verbally  or  in  writing  and 
they  were  kept  secret.    The  right  seems  clearly  to  have  been  with  Car- 
teret.   Upon  the  arrival  of  the  report  of  the  proceedings  of  Andros  in 
England,  the  opinion  of  Sir  William  Jones  was  asked  and  obtained  to 
the  effect,  that  in  the  grant  to  Sir  George  Carteret,  there  was  no  reserva- 


TKADE  WITH  BARBADOS.  353 

As  to  what  the  governor  has  done  in  regard  to  his  own 
subjects:  wherever  they  lived,  they  had  the  right  to  do 
whatever  they  considered  best  for  a  livelihood  ;  but  as  this 
country  yields  in  abundance  every  thing  most  essential  for* 
life,  if  the  inhabitants  so  apply  it,  its  shipping  does  not 
amount  to  much,  for  the  reason  that  they  have  every  thing 
at  home,  and  have  little  occasion  to  borrow  or  buy  from 
their  neighbors ;  and  as  the  exports  or  imports  were  not 
much,  and  produced  few  customs  or  duties  in  which  his 
profit  consists,  there  was  little  bought  from  the  merchants 
of  articles  obtained  from  abroad.  There  was,  therefore,  no 
profit  from  that  source  to  them  or  him  — ,for  he  also  is  a 
merchant,  and  keeps  a  store  publicly  like  the  others,  where 
you  can  buy  half  a  penny's  worth  of  pins.  They  usually 
make  at  least  an  hundred  per  cent  profit.  And  here  it  is  to 
be  remarked,  that  as  Fredrick  Flvpsen  has  the  most  shipping 
and  does  the  largest  trade,  it  is  said  he  is  in  partnership 
with  the  governor,  which  is  credible  and  inferable  from 
the  privileges  which  Frederick  enjoys  above  the  other 
merchants  in  regard  to  his  goods  and  ships.  Now  one 
of  the  principal  navigations  of  this  place,  is  that  with  the 
Barbados,  which  formerly  did  not  amount  to  much,  for 
the  people  could  obtain  the  productions  of  Barbados  cheap 
enough  from  Boston,  which  had  a  great  trade  with  that 
island,  and  where  its  productions  are  cheap  in  consequence 
of  their  exemptions  from  duties,  for  they  paid  scarcely  any 
duty,  customs,  or  other  charges.  As  no  French  brandies 
can  come  into  the  English  dominions,  they  can  not  be 


tion  of  jurisdiction. — Colonial  History  of  New  York,  III,  284.  And  a  release 
was  executed  by  the  Duke  to  Sir  George  Carteret,  heir  of  Sir  George,  the 
original  grantee,  who  had  died  the  preceding  year.  Andros  was  ordered 
home,  apparently  to  answer  for  his  conduct  in  this  and  other  matters  in 
whicli  he  evidently  had  acted  under  the  duke's  orders.  He  remained  in 
favor  and  was  appointed  in  1686  by  the  Duke  of  York,  then  King  James 
II,  governor  of  New  England,  New  York  and  New  Jersey. 
45 


354  THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 

4  « 

imported  into  New  York,  though  they  are  free  at  Boston ; 
and  as  New  Netherland  is  a  country  overflowing  with  grain, 
much  liquor  was  distilled  there  from  grain,  and,  therefore, 
they  had  no  necessity  of  going  elsewhere  to  buy  strong 
liquors.  This  brought  no  profit  to  the  merchants,  but  on 
the  contrary  a  loss,  for  in  the  first  place,  a  large  quantity  of 
grain  was  consumed  in  distillation,  by  which  means  the 
grain  continued  too  dear,  according  to  the  views  of  the 
merchants,  who  received  it  from  the  poor  boors  in  payment 
of  their  debts,  there  being  no  money  in  circulation ;  in  the 
second  place,  it  prevented  the  importation  of  rum,  a 
spirituous  liquor  made  from  sugar  in  Barbados,  and 
consequently  any  duties ;  and  thirdly,  the  merchants  did 
not  realize  the  double  per  centage  of  profit,  namely,  upon 
the  meal  they  might  send  to  Barbados,  and  upon  the  rum 
which  they  would  sell  here.  The  governor,  therefore,  pro- 
hibited the  distilling  of  spirituous  liquors,  whereby  not 
only  were  many  persons  ruined  who  supported  themselves 
by  that  business,  but  the  rum  which  had  to  be  procured 
from  the  merchants,  rose  in  price,  and  they  sold  it  as  high 
as  they  pleased  ;  on  the  other  hand  the  price  of  grain  fell 
very  much,  because  it  could  not  be  consumed,  and  the  mer- 
chants gave  no  more  for  it  than  they  chose.  And  thus  the 
«  poor  farmers  soon  had  to  work  for  nothing,  all  their  sweat 
and  labor  going  with  usury  into  the  pockets  of  the  trades- 
men. The  trade  to  the  Barbados  now  began  to  increase, 
and  the  merchants  and  the  governor  to  make  more  gains. 
The  common  people,  who  could  not  trade  to  the  Barbados, 
but  could  buy  what  they  wanted  at  Boston  as  cheaply  as 
they  could  order  it  from  the  Barbados,  sent  their  flour  to 
Boston,  and  obtained  their  goods  much  cheaper  than  their 
own  merchants  sold  them.  But  as  this  was  contributing 
too  much  to  Boston,  although  the  trade  had  always  been 
free  there,  and  was  injuring  the  profits  of  the  merchants  of 
New  York,  the  governor  forbid  any  further  trading  to  Bos- 


THE  FARMERS  OPPRESSED. 


355 


ton  ;  though  the  people  of  Boston  should  have  the  privilege 
to  come  and  buy  at  New  York  on  their  own  account.  This 
took  away  almost  all  the  trade  with  Boston,  which  had  been 
very  large,  and  straightened  the  farmers  and  common  people 
still  more,  while  the  merchants  became,  if  not  worse,  at 
least  great  usurers  and  cheats.  The  grain,  by  this  means, 
fell  still  lower  in  price,  and  while  we  were  there,  the  people 
could  not  obtain  more  than  four  or  five  guilders  in  zeewan 
for  a  schepel  of  fine  wheat,  that  is,  sixteen  stuivers  or  one 
guilder  of  Holland  money.1  On  the  other  hand,  the  mer- 
chants charged  so  dreadfully  dear  what  the  common  man 
had  to  buy  of  them,  that  he  could  hardly  ever  pay  them  off, 
and  remained  like  a  child  in  their  debt,  and  consequently 
their  slave.  It  is  considered  at  New  York  a  great  treasure 
and  liberty,  not  to  be  indebted  to  the  merchants,  for  any  one 
who  is,  will  never  be  able  to  pay  them.  The  richest 
of  the  farmers  and  common  people,  however,  in  company, 
or  singly,  sent  their  goods  to  Barbados,  on  their  own 
account,  and  ordered  from  there  what  they  thought  proper ; 
and  although  they  had  to  pay  duties  and  freight  to  the  mer- 
chants for  the  goods  which  were  carried  in  their  ships,  they 
nevertheless,  saved  to  themselves  the  profits  on  the  goods. 
The  governor  at  last  has  forbidden  any  flour  to  be  bolted 
except  in  the  city,  or  to  be  exported,  unless  [the  exporters] 
come  and  reside  in  the  city,  and  buy  their  burger  or  trader- 
right,  which  is  five  beaver  skins,  and  has  forbidden  all 
persons  whomsoever  from  carrying  on  trade,  except  those 
whom  he  licenses,  and  who  know  what  they  must  pay  him 
yearly,  according  to  the  amount  of  their  sales.  All  goods 
sold  outside  of  the  city,  in  the  country,  must  be  bought  in 
"New  York,  and  not  imported  on  private  account  from 
abroad.  Madame  Rentselaer  had  even  erected  a  new  bolt- 
ing mill  before  the  last  harvest  by  his  advice,  which  was  not 


1  Forty  cents  for  one  bushel  and  a  fifth  of  a  bushel. 


356 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


yet  in  operation,  when  he  prohibited  bolting.  Such  was 
the  situation  of  affairs  when  we  left  there.  It  is  true  that 
all  goods  imported  into  the  South  river  from  ahroad,  had 
to  pay  not  only  import,  hut  also  export  duties,  hut  those 
bought  in  Xew  York,  or  from  the  merchants  there  on 
their  own  account,  pay  little  or  no  export  duty.  And  it 
would  appear  as  if  the  whole  of  the  proceedings  with  Car- 
teret and  him  were  founded  in  this,  if  they  have  no 
higher  cause. 

They  say  now,  as  he  has  accomplished  these  objects 
in  regard  to  his  own  people  and  Carteret,  he  will  turn  his 
attention  to  the  quakers  on  the  South  river,  who  claim  they 
are  not  subject  to  his  government,  and  also  to  the  people  on 
the  Connecticut  ( Versclie  ririer),  who  claim  to  be  members 
of  the  republic  of  Boston,  and  even  to  those  of  Boston ;  but 
whether  all  this  is  designed  by  him  is  doubtful. 

The  shoemakers,  in  consequence  of  the  abundance  of 
hides  and  bark  in  the  country,  have  prepared  their  own 
leather ;  but  as  it  was  not  necessary  that  every  shoemaker 
should  have  his  own  tannery,  some  of  them  have  put  up 
several  tanneries  jointly,  and  others  who  were  not  so  rich 
or  had  not  so  much  to  do,  had  their  leather  tanned  by  them, 
or  tanned  it  themselves  in  those  tanneries,  satisfying  the 
owners  for  the  privilege.  The  proprietors  of  the  tanneries 
began  to  exact  too  much  from  those  who  had  their  leather 
tanned,  whereupon  the  poorer  ones  complained  to  the 
governor  about  it.  He  seized  the  opportunity  to  forbid  all 
tanning  whatsoever,  and  to  order  that  the  hides  should  be 
sent  to  Europe,  and  the  leather  ordered  from  there  for  the 
purpose  of  making  shoes,  or  else  ready  made  shoes 
imported.  By  this  means  the  farmers  and  others  would  be 
compelled  to  come  and  sell  their  hides  to  the  merchants, 
who  would  give  for  them  what  they  chose,  he  would  derive 
taxes  and  duties  from  them  and  the  merchants,  their  freight 
and  percentage  of  profit ;  leather  which  is  dear  in  Europe 


AKBITEAKY  ACTS  OF  THE  GOVERNOE. 


357 


would  pay  perhaps  taxes  once  or  twice  there,  and  freight 
and  taxes  or  duties  again  here ;  the  merchants  would  have 
their  profit,  and  then  the  shoemaker  would  get  the  leather 
for  the  purpose  of  making  shoes.  A  pair  of  shoes  now 
costs  16  or  20  guilders,  that  is,  four  guilders  in  Holland 
money  [one  dollar  and  sixty  cents],  what  would  they  cost 
then  ?  And  as  labor  in  Europe  is  cheaper  than  here,  it  is 
certain  that  shoes  made  there  would  be  cheaper  than  the 
leather  would  cost  here,  and  thus  all  the  shoemakers  here 
would  be  ruined,  and  all  their  means  go  to  the  governor 
and  the  merchants.  This  subject  was  under  discussion,  and 
had  not  yet  gone  into  effect  when  we  left.  As  they  dis- 
covered that  leather  is  contraband,  I  think  the  order  is 
stopped  for  that  reason.    The  intention,  however,  is  evident. 

He  has  taken  away  land  from  several  country  people,  and 
given  it  to  others  who  applied  to  him  for  it,  because  it  was 
not  inclosed,  and  he  wishes,  as  he  says,  the  land  to  be  cul- 
tivated, and  not  remain  waste.  But  it  is  impossible  that 
all  the  land  bought  in  the  firs.t  instance  for  the  purpose  of 
being  cultivated  by  the  purchasers  or  their  heirs,  as  they 
generally  buy  a  large  tract  with  that  object,  can  be  put  in 
fence  immediately  and  kept  so,  much  less  be  cultivated. 
He  has  also  curtailed  all  the  farms  in  the  free  colony  of 
Rentselaerswyck,  as  well  as  their  privileges.  Some  persons 
being  discouraged,  and  wishing  to  leave  for  the  purpose  of 
going  to  live  under  Carteret,  he  threatened  to  confiscate  all 
their  goods  and  effects.  He  said  to  others  who  came  to  him 
and  complained  they  could  not  live  under  these  prohibitions : 
"  if  they  do  not  suit  you,  leave  the  country,  and  the  sooner 
you  do  it  the  better." 

A  certain  poor  carman  had  the  misfortune  to  run  over 
a  child  which  died.  He  fled,  although  the  world  pitied 
him,  and  excused  him  because  he  could  not  have  avoided 
it.  The  court,  according  to  some  law  of  England,  on 
account  of  his  having  seven  sons,  acquitted  him,  provided 


358 


TITE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


his  wife  with  her  seven  sons  would  go  and  prostrate  them- 
selves hefore  the  governor,  and  ask  pardon  for  their  hushand 
and  father.  The  carman  was  restored  hy  the  court  to  his 
business,  which  he  began  again  to  exercise,  when  the 
governor  meeting  him  on  his  cart  in  the  street,  asked  him 
who  had  given  him  permission  to  ride  again.  The  carman 
replied :  "  My  Lord,  it  is  by  permission  and  order  of  the 
court."  "Come  down  at  once,"  the  governor  said,  "and 
remember  you  do  not  attempt  it  again  during  your  life." 
Thus  he  violated  the  order  of  the  court,  and  the  poor  man 
had  to  seek  some  other  employment  to  earn  his  bread. 

A  citizen  of  Xew  York  had  a  dog  which  was  very  useful  ' 
to  him.  This  dog,  by  accident,  went  into  the  fort,  where 
madam,  the  governor's  wife  was  standing,  and  looked 
steadily  at  her,  in  expectation,  perhaps,  of  obtaining  some- 
thing from  her,  like  a  beggar.  The  lady  was  much  dis- 
composed and  disturbed,  and  related  the  circumstance  to 
her  husband.  The  governor  immediately  caused  inquiries 
to  be  made  as  to  the  ownership  of  the  dog,  summoned  his 
master  before  him,  spoke  to  him  severely,  and  ordered  him 
to  kill  the  dog  forthwith.  The  man  was  very  sorry  for  the 
dog,  and  endeavored  to  save  him  till  the  anger  of  the 
governor  was  over.  He  placed  him  on  board  of  a  vessel 
sailing  from  and  to  the  city,  so  as  to  prevent  his  coming 
on  land.  The  governor  being  informed  of  this  by  some 
spy  or  informer,  I  know  not  whom,  but  of  such  there  is  no 
lack,  summoned  the  man  again  before  him,  and  asked  him 
if  he  had  killed  his  dog.  The  man  answered  he  had  not, 
but  had  done  thus  and  so,  whereupon  the  governor  repri- 
manded him  severely,  imposed  a  heavy  fine  upon  him,  and 
required,  I  believe,  two  of  his  sons  to  be  security  until  he 
had  killed  the  dog  in  the  presence  of  witnesses  whom  he 
would  send  for  that  purpose. 

This  will  be  enough,  I  think,  to  enable  such  as  have 
understanding,  to  comprehend  him.    As  for  us,  we  did  not 


THE  TRAVELERS  SUSPECTED. 


359 


have  much  difficulty  in  interpreting  him  from  the  first. 
Grace  and  power  have  been  given  us  to  act,  so  that  neither 
he  nor  any  one  else  should  have  any  hold  upon  us.  For,  as 
we  were  openly  before  the  world,  he  had  not  much  to  do 
with  us,  the  more  so,  as  you  could  trust  no  one,  because 
he  has  people  everywhere  to  spy  and  listen  to  every  thing, 
and  carry  what  they  hear  to  him  ;  so  every  one  endeavors 
to  stand  well  with  him.  In  a  word  he  is  very  politic ; 
being  governor  and,  changeably,  a  trader,  he  appears 
friendly  because  he  is  both ;  severe  because  he  is  avari- 
cious; and  well  in  neither  capacity  because  they  are 
commingled.  The  Lord  be  praised  who  has  delivered  us 
safely,  and  the  more,  because  we  were  in  every  one's  eye 
and  yet  nobody  knew  what  to  make  of  us ;  we  were  an 
enigma  to  all.  Some  declared  we  were  French  emissaiies 
going  thcough  the  land  to  spy  it  out;  others,  that  we  were 
Jesuits  traveling  over  the  country  for  the  same  purpose; 
some  that  we  were  Recollets,  designating  the  places 
where  we  had  held  mass  and  confession ;  others  that  we 
were  sent  out  by  the  Prince  of  Orange  or  the  states  of 
Holland,  and  as  the  country  was  so  easily  conquered,  to 
see  what  kind  of  a  place  it  was,  and  whether  it  was  worth 
the  trouble  to  endeavor  to  recover  it,  and  how  many  sol- 
diers it  would  require  to  hold  it ;  others  again  that  we  had 
been  sent  out  as  the  principals  to  establish  a  new  colony, 
and  were,  therefore,  desirous  of  seeing  and  examining 
every  thing.  And  thus  each  one  drifted  along  according 
to  his  wishes.  The  papists  believed  we  were  priests  and 
we  could  not  get  rid  of  them ;  they  would  have  us  confess 
them,  baptize  their  children,  and  perform  mass  ;  and  they 
continued  in  this  opinion.  The  quakers  said  we  were 
quakers,  because  we  were  not  expensively  dressed,  and  did 
not  curse  and  swear,  that  we  were  not  willing  to  avow  our- 
selves as  such;  but  they  were  jealous  because  we  had  not 
associated  with  them.    Some  said  we  were  Mennonists  ; 


3G0 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


others  that  we  were  Brownists,  and  others  again  that  we 
were  David  Jorists.1  Every  one  had  his  own  opinion,  and 
no  one  the  truth.  Some  accused  us  of  holding  conventi- 
cles or  meetings,  and  even  at  the  magistrate's  or  burgo- 
master's,  and  named  the  place  where  and  the  persons  who 
attended  them,  some  of  whom  were  recmired  to  purge 
themselves  of  the  charge,  and  others  were  spoken»to  in  a 
different  way.  It  was  all  finally  found  to  be  false,  and 
that  they  were  mistaken,  though  few  of  them  were  cured 
of  their  opinion.  The  ministers  caused  us  to  be  suspected  ; 
the  world  and  the  godless  hated  and  shunned  us;  the 
hypocrites  envied  and  slandered  us ;  but  the  simple  and 
upright  listened  to  us  and  loved  us  ;  and  God  counseled 
and  directed  us.  May  he  be  praised  and  glorified  by  all 
his  children  to  all  eternity,  for  all  that  he  is,  and  all  that 
he  does,  for  all  that  he  is  doing  for  them,  and  all  that  he 
may  do  for  them,  to  all  eternity. 

12th,  Wednesday.  Theunis  came  to  our  house  and  took 
leave  of  us  with  great  tenderness  and  with  many  tears,  he 
committing  us,  and  we  him,  to  God  and  his  grace,  recom- 
mending himself  to  our  prayers  and  the  prayers  of  God's 
children,— his  beloved  brothers  and  sisters,  he  said,  to 
whom,  although  he  had  never  seen  them,  he  requested  us 
to  make  his  salutations.2  In  the  evening  Ephraim  also 
came  to  take  leave,  intending  to  go  south  in  order  to  leave 
his  wife  there  during  her  confinement.  We  said  to  each 
of  them  what  we  deemed  necessary. 

13^,  Thursday.  It  was  first  announced  we  were  to  leave 


1  David  Joris,  or  George,  the  founder  of  the  sect  called  David  Jorists  or 
David  Georgians,  was  a  native  of  Delft  in  South  Holland.  He  proclaimed  • 
himself  the  son  of  God  ;  and  denied  the  existence  of  good  and  evil,  of  heaven 
and  hell,  and  future  punishment.  "  He  reduced  religion  to  contemplation, 
silence  and  a  certain  frame  or  habit  of  soul,  which  it  is  equallv  difficult  to 
define  and  to  understand."— Mosheim,  XVI,  3, 24. 

2  The  community  of  Wiewerd. 


A  DOUBTFUL  ARTICLE. 


361 


on  "Wednesday,  then  the  following  Saturday,  afterwards 
on  Tuesday,  and  again  on  Thursday  without  fail.  Finally 
we  spoke  to  the  skipper  or  supercargo,  Paddechal,  who 
told  us  he  could  not  leave  before  the  governor  returned, 
who  had  some  letters  of  importance  to  send  by  him.  This 
evening  Annetje  Sluys,  of  whom  we  have  spoken,  came  to 
see  us.  She  had  some  ambergris  which  she  wanted  us  to 
take,  but  we  did  not  know  what  to  do  in  regard  to  the 
terms.  Among  others,  we  made  three  different  proposi- 
tions ;  namely,  we  would  fix  the  price  at  eight  pieces  of 
eight  the  ounce  bere,  and  would  endeavor  to  sell  it  in  Hol- 
laud  as  high  as  we  could,  and  would  take  one-half  of  what 
it  brought  over  that  valuation  for  our  trouble,  provided  we 
could  take  our  portion  of  the  profit  out  in  ambergris  at 
the  current  price ;  or,  we  would  take  it  all  ourselves  at 
eight  pieces  of  eight  the  ounce  to  be  paid  for  in  Holland; 
or,  she  should  give  us  one  ounce  for  our  trouble  and  we 
would  sell  the  rest  of  it  for  her  and  send  back  the  proceeds 
to  her  in  goods.  The  second  proposition  seemed  to  be 
the  most  profitable,  if  we  had  a  correct  knowledge  of  the 
ambergris,  but  we  had  none  at  all ;  and  if  it  were  not  good  it 
would  be  a  great  loss.  The  first  proposition  might,  or 
might  not,  yield  us  a  profit,  but  it  seemed  to  us  too  trades- 
manlike. It  therefore  remained  with  the  last  one.  There 
were  twelve  ounces  of  it  good,  or  what  we  considered  good, 
and  four  ounces  bad.  One  ounce  was  weighed  off  for  us, 
and  the  rest  was  taken  upon  that  condition.  My  com- 
rade gave  her  a-  receipt,  acknowledging  it  was  received 
from  her  on  such  conditions,  and  she  gave  a  memo- 
randum of  the  goods  which  she  wanted  for  the  pro- 
ceeds. 

[Here  occurs  a  break  in  the  journal,  embracing  a  period 
of  five  days,  that  is,  from  June  13th,  to  June  19th,  and 
filling  twenty-four  pages  of  the  manuscript,  equal  to  thirty 
printed  pages.    The  missing  part  probably  contained  a 
46 


:ii»2 


TIIF,  HUDSON  AM)  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


general  description  of  the  city  of  New  York,  according  to 
the  practice  of  the  journalist  on  taking  final  departure 
from  a  place,  and  as  promised  in  regard  to  that  city,  under 
date  of  8th  of  May.] 


NOTE  TO  PAGE  345. 

Frederick  Philipse,  and  Margaret,  his  wife,  who  was  the  acknowledged 
owner  and  supercargo  of  the  Charles,  and  was,  with  her  daughter,  Annetje, 
a  fellow  passenger  of  our  travelers  in  that  ship  on  their  voyage  to  New 
York,  have  figured  largely  in  these  pages,  and  seem,  therefore,  hefore  we 
part  from  them,  to  require  some  particular  notice,  especially  as  he  and  some 
other  member*  of  the  family  were  conspicuous  in  the  early  history  of 
the  colony  of  New  York ;  and  more  particularly  because  the  public  records, 
colonial  and  ecclesiastical,  prove  that  the  statements  hitherto  published  in 
regard  to  them  are  exceedingly  erroneous. 

Frederick  Philipse,  whose  name  is  thus  anglicised  from  the  Dutch, 
namely,  Flipsen.or  as  he  himself  spelt  it.Flypsen,  that  is,  the  son  of  Flip  or 
Philip,  was  born  in  the  year  1626,  at  Bolsward,  in  Friesland,  the  little  town 
near  Wiewerd,  where  our  travelers,  it  will  be  recollected,  entered  the  canal 
boat  on  the  morning  they  set  out  for  Amsterdam,  to  take  ship  for  New- 
York.  In  what  year  he  left  Friesland,  does  not  appear;  but  it  was  not  in 
I608,  as  the  accounts  referred  to  state,  for  he  was  in  New  Amsterdam  in 
when  we  find  him  named  as  an  appraiser  of  a  house  and  lot  of  Augus- 
tine Heermans  in  that  city.  If  he  came  over  with  Governor  Stuyvesant, 
as  it  is  asserted  and  as  is  not  impossible,  then  he  arrived  here  in  May,  1647. 
But  he  came  in  no  lordly  capacity,  nor  for  the  purpose  of  taking  possession 
of  landed  estates,  which  it  is  pretended,  he  had  acquired  here.  He  was  a 
carpenter  by  trade,  and  worked  as  such  at  first  for  Governor  Stuyvesant. 

Margaret,  his  first  wife,  was  the  daughter  of  Adolph  Ilardenbrook,  who 
came  from  Ervervelt,  in  Holland,  and  settled  at  Bergen,  opposite  New  Am- 
sterdam. She  married  Peter  Hudolphus  De  Vries,  a  merchant  trader  of 
New  Amsterdam,  in  1659,  and  had  by  him  one  child,  a  daughter,  baptized 
October  3, 1G60.  Rudolphus  died  in  1661,  leaving  a  considerable  estate, 
which,  by^  law,  devolved  upon  his  widow  and  child  with  a  community 
of  interest. 

In  October,  1662,  bans  of  marriage  between  Frederick  Philipse  and 
Margaret  Hardenbrook  were  published,  when  the  Court  of  Orphan  Masters 
of  New  Amsterdam  summoned  her  before  them,  to  render  an  inventory 
of  her  child's  paternal  inheritance.  This  she  declared  she  was  unable  to 
do,  probably  in  consequence  of  the  commercial  character  of  the  assets  j 


FREDERICK  PHILIPSE.  363 

whereupon  the  court  received  the  ante-nuptial  contract  between  her  and 
Frederick, Philipse  in  lieu  of  the  inventory,  in  consequence  of  its  embody- 
ing an  agreement  on  his  part  to  adopt  the  child  of  Rudolphus  as  his  own, 
and  to  bequeath  her  one-half  of  his  estate,  unless  he  had  children  born  to 
himself,  and  in  that  case  to  give  her  a  share  equally  with  them.  Adoption 
was  permitted  by  the  laws,  and  also  the  limitation  of  successory  estates  by 
marriage  contracts,  and  the  child  thus  in  legal  intendment,  became  the 
child  of  Frederick  Philipse  upon  the  consummation  of  the  marriage  in 
December  following.  In  the  baptismal  record,  the  name  of  this  child  is 
written  Maria.  This  may  have  been,  and  probably  was,  an  error  of  the 
registrar;  certain  it  is,  that  Frederick  Philipse,  by  his  will,  made  pro- 
vision for  a  child,  which  he  calls  his  oldest  daughter,  named  Eva,  who  was 
not  his  child  by  marriage,  as  it  seems ;  and  he  makes  no  provision  for 
Maria,  as  he  was  bound  to  do  by  his  marriage  contract,  unless  it  be  that 
for  Eva.  The  conclusion,  therefore,  seems  irresistible,  that  Eva  and  Maria 
were  one  and  the  same  person. 

By  his  marriage  with  Margaret  Hardenbrook,  Frederick  Philipse  became 
entitled  to  a  community  of  property  with  her.  She  did  not,  however,  relin- 
quish to  him  the  sole  management  of  the  estate  which  she  possessed,  but 
on  the  contrary,  continued  the  business  of  her  former  husband,  a  practice 
not  uncommon  in  the  colony,  and  became  a  woman-trader,  a  character 
which  does  not  appear  to  have  always  been  a  very  amiable  one,  judging 
from  our  journalist's  description  of  her,  and  of  the  mistress  of  Illetie  the 
Indian  at  Albany.  She  went  repeatedly  to  Holland  in  her  own  ships,  as 
supercargo,  and  bought  and  traded  in  her  own  name.  By  her  fortune, 
Thrift,  and  enterprise,  however,  as  well  as  by  his  own  exertions,  Philipse 
soon  came  to  be  the  richest  man  in  the  colony.  His  property  was  valued 
in  1674  by  commissioners  appointed  by  Governor  Colve, at 80,000 guilders; 
an  amount  large  in  those  days,  and  yet  small  compared  with  his  subse- 
quent wealth.  On  her  death,  his  commercial  operations  became  more 
extensive.  It  is  not  certain  when  Margaret  died,  though  it  was  not  in  1G62, 
as  strangely  stated  by  some,  for  that  was  the  year  of  her  marriage  with 
Frederick  Philipse.  She  was  alive,  and  a  passenger  in  the  ship  with  our 
travelers  in  1679,  but  she  must  have  died  before  1692,  when  Frederick 
Philipse  espoused  Catharine  van  Cortlandt,  widow  of  John  Derval  and 
daughter  of  Oloff  Stevensz  van  Cortlandt,  for  his  second  wife.  He  became 
the  largest  trader  with  the  Five  Indian  Nations  at  Albany,  sent  ships  to  both 
the  East  and  West  Indies,  imported  slaves  from  Africa,  and  engaged,  as 
it  was  with  good  reason  alleged,  in  trade  with  the  pirates  at  Madagascar. 
His  gains  and  profits  were  much  enhanced,  it  was  believed,  by  his  con- 
nection with  the  government,  and  his  intimacy  with  the  governors,  by 
which  he  obtained  immunities  not  granted  to  others.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  council  under  all  the  governors,  from  Andros  to  Bellomont,  embracing 
an  uninterrupted  period  of  twenty  years,  with  the  exception  of  the  brief 
usurpation  ofLeisler.  When  the  latter  event  occurred,  he  was  in  conjunc- 
tion with  Stephen  van  Cortlandt,  left  in  charge  of  the  government  by 


3G4 


THE  HUDSON  AND  ITS  AFFLUENTS. 


Lieutenant  Governor  Nicholson.  After  resisting  for  a  few  days  the  pro- 
ceedings of  Leisler,  as  became  his  position,  he  wisely,  when  the  public 
sentiment  pronounced  itself  in  favor  of  them,  submitted  to  them  as  the  acts 
of  the  government  ik- facto,  much  to  the  chagrin  of  Bayard  and  his  associates 
lie  was  subsequently  clothed  by  Governor  Slaughter  with  similar  powers, 
in  conjunction  with  Nicholas  Bayard,  during  the  absence  of  that  governor 
at  Albany.  He  had  the  ear  of  Fletcher,  who  bestowed  upon  him  and 
his  son  Adolphus,  extravagant  grants  of  land.  When  the  Leisler  party 
came  into  power  under  Bellomont,  in  1098,  he  resigned  his  seat  in  council, 
inconsequence,  as  he  alleged,  of  his  advanced  age,  which  was  then 
seventy-two,  though  In  reality,  it  would  seem,  to  avoid,  if  possible,  the  blow 
Which  w  as  already  given  in  an  order  for  his  removal  by  the  home  govern- 
ment, on  account  of  his  practices  with  the  pirates,  an  order  which  arrived 
a  few  weeks  after  his  resignation. 

In  1080,  he  acquired  a  piece  of  land  from  the  Indians,  the  title  to  which 
was  confirmed  by  patent  in  the  same  year  from  Governor  Andros,  situated 
on  the  Pocanteco  or  Mill  river,  in  the  county  of  Westchester,  running  along 
Sleepy  Hollow,  the  region  since  made  famous  in  our  legendary  lore.  'I  his 
acquisition  was  the  nucleus  of  the  large  tract  in  that  county  extending 
from  Youkers  to  the  Croton  river,  which,  with  a  small  piece  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  Hudson,  near  Tappaan,  and  the  bridge  across  the  Spytcnduy- 
vel,  called  Kingsbridge,  were  purchased  or  patented  by  him,  and  erected  by 
Governor  Fletcher  in  1003,  into  a  manor,  with  the  customary  privileges  of 
a  lordship,  of  holding  court  lcet  and  court  baron,  and  exercising  advow- 
son  and  right  of  patronage  of  all  churches  to  be  erected  within  its  limits, 
to  be  held  by  him,  his  heirs  and  assigns,  by  the  name  of  the  manor  of 
Philipsborough.  This  property  remained  in  the  family  until  the  American 
revolution,  when,  by  reason  of  the  adherence  to  the  British  crown  of  the 
proprietor.  Colonel  Frederick  Philipse,  great  grandson  of  the  founder  of 
the  estate,  it  was  confiscated  by  the  state  of  New  York. 

Frederick  Philipse  was,  as  we  have  seen,  twice  married.  He  had  no 
children  by  Catharine  van  Cortlandt,  his  second  wife.  By  Margaret  Ilar- 
denbrook,  he  had  four :  L  Philip, baptized Ma  rch  18, 1664  II.  Adolphus, 
baptized  November  15,  1605.  III.  Annetje,  baptized  November  27,  1007, 
and  IV.  Bombout,  baptized  January  9,  1070.  The  genealogy  in  Burke's 
Dictionary  of  the  Landed  Gentry  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  says  he  had 
two  children,  Frederick,  born  in  1050,  and  Eva,  and  makes  Philip  and 
Adolphus  to  be  sons  of  this  Frederick  by  Margaret  Hardenbrook  j  while 
that  in  Bolton's  History  of  Westchester  County,  gives  him  one  child,  Frede- 
rick, born  in  1050,  at  Bolsward,  and  makes  Margaret  Hardenbrook  to  be 
the  wife  of  this  Frederick,  and  Philip,  Adolphus,  Eva  and  Annetje  to  be 
bis  children.  The  errors  of  these  statements  are  so  palpable  on  the  face  of 
them,  as  hardly  to  require  being  pointed  out.  Margaret  Hardenbrook 
married  Frederick  Philipse,  as  the  record  shows,  in  December,  1662 ;  surely 
then,  her  husband  could  not  have  been  born  in  1656,  only  six  years  before. 
Frederick  Philipse  was  in  this  country  as  early  as  1653,  remained 


FREDERICK  PHILIPSE. 


365 


here  and  married  his  first  wife  in  16C2.  He  could  not  have  had  a  son  born 
to  him  in  Friesland  in  1G56.  All  this  confusion  arises  from  the  mistake  of 
these  writers  in  supposing  that  there  was  a  son  Frederick  born  to  the  first 
Frederick,  and  attributing  to  two  Fredericks  what  pertains  to  one. 

Frederick  Philipse,  the  first  of  the  name  in  this  country,  and  the  subject 
of  t  his  sketch,  died  in  1702,  in  the  seventy-seventh  year  of  his  age.  He  left  a 
will,  by  which  he  devised  to  Frederick  Philipse,  his  grandson,  the  son  of 
Philip,  his  oldest  son,  the  Yonkcr's  plantation  and  other  lands ;  to  Eva,  his 
oldest  daughter,  who  married  Jacobus  van  Cortlandt,  May  7,  1691,  a  house 
and  ground  in  New  York,  and  a  mortgage  of  Domine  Selyns  ;  to  his  son 
Adolphus,  the  land  at  the  upper  mills  in  Westchester  county ;  and  to  his 
daughter  Annetje,  wife  of  Philip  French,  a  house  and  ground  in  New 
York,  and  an  estate  in  Bergen.  Rombout  is  not  mentioned  in  the  will, 
having  probably  died  in  infancy ;  nor  is  there  an}'  mention  of  any  son 
Frederick,  or  of  the  children  of  such  a  son.  Eva,  his  oldest  daughter,  was, 
as  we  have  concluded,  such  by  adoption,  and  not  by  birth.  This  is  to  be 
inferred  from  the  absence  of  her  name  in  the  baptismal  record,  and  by 
the  times  of  the  birth  of  his  other  children  as  given  by  the  same  record. 

Adolphus  Philipse  was,  for  several  years,  speaker  of  the  colonial  assem- 
bly. Mary,  daughter  of  Frederick  Philipse,  named  in  the  will  of  the  first 
Frederick,  and  sister  of  Colonel  Frederick  Philipse,  in  whose  hands  the 
manorial  estate  was  confiscated,  won,  it  is  said,  the  affections  of  Wash- 
ington, but  the  demands  of  his  country  called  him  away,  and  she  became 
the  wife  of  Colonel  Morris,  who  embraced  the  cause  of  the  king. 

As  this  sketch  of  Frederick  Philipse  differs  materially  from  the  accounts 
heretofore  published,  we  adduce  here  the  authorities  for  all  the  essential 
facts  presented.  0'  Callaghan's  Calendar  of  Butch  Manuscripts,  50,210,  218. 
Valentine's  History  of  New  York,  144.  New  York  Colonial  Manuscripts, 
X,  281.  Calendar  of  English  Manuscripts,  26, 118,  158,  206,  270.  New  Neth- 
erland  Register,  100.  Valentine's  New  York  Manual  for  1862,  617,  623 ;  for 
1863,  801-807.  Record  of  Court  of  Orphan  Masters,  city  clerk's  office,  New 
York,  sub  dato  December  18, 1662.  New  York  Colonial  History,  II,  699 ;  III, 
IV,  passim.  Records  of  Wills,  in  surrogate's  office,  New  York,  Book  VII, 
101.  Burke's  Biclionary  of  the  Landed  Gentry  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland 
for  1851, 1,  890;  II,  1361.  Bolton's  History  of  Westchester  County,!,  320, 
323,  and  pedigree  ;  II,  418, 466, 467.  BlaJce's  History  of  Putnam  County,  80-3. 


JOURNAL 


op  orni 


VOYAGE  FROM  NEW  NETHERLAND 


UNTIL 


OUR  ARRIVAL  AT  W1EWERD,  LN  FRIESLAND. 


BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  HOME. 


1680,  June  19th,  Wednesday.  We  embarked  at  noon  in 
the  yacht  of  Mr.  Padechcd,  supercargo  and  captain,  resid- 
ing in  Boston.  The  anchor  was  weighed  at  last ;  but  as 
we  had  to  wait  a  long  time  for  the  governor's  yacht,  the 
tide  was  nearly  all  spent.  The  wind  was  from  the 
northwest.  The  crew  consisted  of  three  men  and  a  boy, 
besides  the  captain  ;  but  there  was  another  sailor  on  board 
who  was  a  passenger.  Many  persons  came  to  escort  the 
captain,  and  also  a  woman,  who  was  going  with  us ;  and 
as  soon  as  they  had  gone  we  hastened  to  leave.  The  wind 
being  ahead,  we  tacked  and  towed,  until  we  anchored  at 
Hellgate,  almost  at  flood  tide,  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon.  The  woman  who  was  going  over  with  us,  was 
born  at  Rhode  Island,  in  New  England,  and  was  the  wife  of 
the  captain  of  the  Margaret,  one  of  Frederick  Flipsen's  ships. 
I  have  never  in  my  whole  life,  witnessed  a  worse,  more 
foul,  profane  or  abandoned  creature.  She  is  the  third 
individual  we  have  met  with  from  New  England,  and  we 
remarked  to  each  other,  if  the  rest  of  the  people  there,  are 
to  be  judged  by  them,  we  might,  perhaps,  do  them  great 
injustice  ;  for  the  first  one  from  Boston  whom  we  saw  was 
a  sailor,  or  he  passed  for  one,  on  board  the  ship  in  which 
we  sailed  from  the  Fatherland.  They  called  him  the 
doctor,  and  if  he  were  not,  or  had  not  been  a  charlatan,  he 
resembled  one;  the  second,  was  our  skipper,  Padechal, 
who  had  told  us  so  many  lies ;  and  now,  this  infamous 
47 


370 


BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  HOME. 


woman.  They  all  belong  to  this  people  who,  it  is  said,  pre- 
tend to  special  dcvoutness j  hut  we  found  them,  the  sailor, 
and  the  rest,  like  all  other  Englishmen,  who,  if  they  are  not 
more  detestable  than  the  Hollanders,  are  at  least  no  better. 

20th,  Thursday.  It  was  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon 
before  the  flood  began  to  make.  The  wind  was  south- 
west, but  light.  "We  weighed  anchor  and  towed  through 
Ifellgate,  when  the  wind  and  tide  served  us  until  we  passed 
Wbitefltone  (dc  witte  klip),  as  far  as  which  the  tide,  from  the 
direction  of  New  York,  usually  reaches.  We  sailed 
bravely  by  and  obtained  the  ebb  tide  in  our  favor  which 
carried  us  this  evening  beyond  Milford. 

21*/,  Friday.  We  had  shot  ahead  very  well  during  the 
night,  with  the  wind  west  and  south  southwest,  on  a  course 
due  east,  so  that  by  morning  we  reached  the  end  of  Long 
Island.  The  governor's  yacht  which  had  to  stop  at  Fisher's 
island,  a  little  to  the  leeward  of  us,  which  is  subject  to  New 
England,  but  which  the  governor  is  now  endeavoring  to 
bring  under  his  authority,  and  for  that  purpose  had  sent 
his  yacht  there  with  letters,  left  us  this  morning  with  a 
salute.  We  observed  a  vessel  ahead  of  us  under  sail, 
running  before  the  wind,  and  we  came  up  to  her  about 
nine  o'clock.  She  was  a  small  flute  from  Milford,  laden 
with  horses  and  bound  for  Barbadoes.  We  hailed  her,  and 
as  her  captain  was  an  acquaintance  of  our  captain  and  an 
independent,  our  captain  went  on  board  of  her  where  he 
staid  two  hours.  When  he  returned  we  kept  our  course, 
and  she  sailed  to  the  south  in  order  to  get  to  sea.  As  soon 
as  we  reached  the  end  of  Long  Island,  they  began  to  throw 
their  fish  lines,  and  continued  to  catch  mackerel  all  day 
long.  I  think  the  European  mackerel  are  better  and 
fatter.  We  came  to  an  island  called  Maertens  Wmgaert 
(Martha's  Vineyard),  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
having  the  Elizabeth  islands  on  the  larboard  and  sailing 
between  the  two,  with  our  course  easterly  and  a  lighter 


DOUBLING  CAPE  COD. 


371 


wind.  Our  captain  had  prayers  every  evening,  performed 
in  this  way.  The  people  were  called  together,  and 
then,  without  any  thing  heing  spoken  previously,  he  read  a 
chapter,  then  a  psalm  or  part  of  one  was  sung,  after  that 
they  all  turned  their  hacks  to  each  other,  half  kneeling, 
when  a  common  formulary  of  prayer  was  said  which 
was  long  enough,  but  irreverently  enough  delivered.  It 
was  not  done  mornings.  From  what  I  have  experienced 
the  Hollanders  perform  it  better,  are  more  strict  mornings 
and  evenings,  and  more  devout. 

There  was  no  moon,  and  the  weather  was  cloudy.  We 
continued  sailing  onward  until  two  o'clock  after  midnight, 
when  the  captain  going  aloft,  cried  out,  "  Strike  the  sails  ! 
strike  the  sails  !  let  them  run !  let  them  run !  we  are  on 
the  rocks,  let  the  anchor  fall !  "  This  startled  me  so  that 
I  cannot  tell  how  I  reached  the  deck,  and  ran  forward.  I 
saw  we  were  indeed  close  upon  a  reef  of  rocks  directly 
before  us,  and  that  we  were  under  considerable  headway. 
We  did  our  best  to  lower  the  sails,  and  throw  the  anchor 
over.  The  headway  was  checked  some,  but  the  anchor 
would  not  hold.  We  found  that  the  spritsail  had  caught 
in  the  anchor  stock  in  consequence  of  the  hurry  in  lower- 
ing the  sail  and  throwing  anchor,  but  it  was  some  time 
before  we  could  discover  what  was  the  matter  and  get 
the  anchor  loose ;  it  then  held  fast  in  three  fathoms  of 
water  at  a  musket  shot's  distance  from  the  reef  and  about 
as  far  from  the  shore.  We  lay  there  until  daylight  on  a 
lee  shore,  but  fortunately  it  did  not  blow  hard. 

22d,  Saturday.  As  soon  as  the  day  broke,  and  we  saw 
where  we  were,  we  got  under  sail  again  with  the  wind, 
the  same  as  before.  In  sailing  between  the  land,  namely 
Maeriens  Wyngaert  and  the  reef,  the  course  is  to  the  point 
of  the  island,  running  east  southeast  in  three  and  two  and 
a  half  fathoms  till  you  have  this  point  on  the  side,  and 
then  you  have  passed  the  reef.    We  continued  on  until  we 


372 


BOSTON,  AND  TITE  VOYAGE  HOME. 


reached  the  westerly  point  of  the  inland  of  Nanlochd,  along 
which  we  sailed  to  the  easterly  point,  and  thence  due 
north  until  noon;  hut  the  flood  tide  running  in  strong, 
and  the  vessel  not  being  well  steered,  we  were  carried  to 
the  west  among  the  shoals.  The  weather  was  rather 
rough  and  the  atmosphere  hazy,  so  that  we  could  not  see 
far.  The  shoals  were  ahead  of  us,  and  we  had  only  two 
fathoms,  and  even  less,  of  water.  The  captain  and  helms- 
man, were  confused,  and  hardly  knew  where  they  were. 
This  happened  two  or  three  times.  In  order  to  avoid  the 
shoals,  we  had  to  keep  to  the  east.  We  were  fearful  we 
would  strike  upon  them,  and  it  was,  therefore,  best  to  look 
out  and  keep  free  of  them.  About  three  o'clock  we 
caught  sight  of  the  main  land  of  Cape  Cod,  to  which  we 
sailed  northerly.  We  arrived  inside,  the  cape  about  six 
o'clock,  with  a  tolerable  breeze  from  the  west,  and  at  the 
same  time  saw  vessels  to  the  leeward  of  us  which  had  an 
east  wind,  from  which  circumstance  we  supposed  we  were 
in  a  whirlwind.  These  two  contrary  winds  striking 
against  each  other,  the  sky  became  dark,  and  they  whirled 
by  each  other,  sometimes  the  one,  and  sometimes  the 
other  being  strongest,  compelling  us  to  lower  the  sails 
several  times.  I  have  never  seen  such  a  twisting  and 
turning  round  in  the  air,  as  at  this  time,  the  clouds  being 
driven  against  each  other,  and  close  to  the  earth.  At  last 
it  became  calm  and  began  to  rain  very  hard,  and  to  thun- 
der and  lighten  heavily.  We  drifted  along  the  whole 
night  in  a  calm,  advancing  only  twelve  or  sixteen  miles. 

23d,  Sunday.  A  breeze  blew  up  from  the  northeast.  It 
was  fortunate  for  us,  that  we  arrived  inside  of  Cape  Cod 
yesterday  evening,  before  this  unfavorable  weather,  as  we 
would  otherwise  have  been  compelled  to  put  back  to 
Rhode  Island.  We  could  now  still  proceed ;  and  we 
laid  our  course  northwest  to  Boston.  We  arrived  at  the 
entrance  of  the  harbor  at  noon,  where  we  found  a  con- 


ARRIVAL  AT  BOSTON. 


373 


siderable  rolling  sea  caused  by  the  ebb  tide  and  wind 
being  against  each  other.  There  are  about  thirty  islands 
here,  not  large  ones,  through  which  we  sailed,  and  reached 
Boston  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  our  captain  run- 
ning with  his  yacht  quite  up  to  his  house  in  the  Milk- 
ditch  (Melk-sloot). 

The  Lord  be  praised  who  has  continued  in  such  a 
fatherly  manner  to  conduct  us,  and  given  us  so  many 
proofs  of  his  care  over  us ;  words  are  wanting  to  express 
ourselves  properly,  more  than  occasions  for  them,  which 
we  have  had  abundantly. 

We  permitted  those  most  in  haste  to  go  ashore  before 
us,  and  then  went  ourselves.  The  skipper  received  us 
politely  at  his  house,  and  so  did  his  wife  ;  but  as  it  was 
Sunday,  which  it  seems  is  somewhat  strictly  observed  by 
these  people,  there  was  not  much  for  us  to  do  to-day.  Our 
captain,  however,  took  us  to  his  sister's  where  we  were 
welcome,  and  from  there  to  his  father's,  an  old  corpulent 
man,  where  there  was  a  repetition  of  the  worship,  which 
took  place  in  the  kitchen  while  they  were  turning  the  spit, 
and  busy  preparing  a  good  supper.  We  arrived  while  they 
were  engaged  in  the  service,  but  he  did  not  once  look  up. 
When  he  had  finished,  they  turned  round  their  backs, 
and  kneeled  on  chairs  or  benches.  The  prayer  was  said 
loud  enough  to  be  heard  three  houses  off,  and  also  long 
enough,  if  that  made  it  good.  This  done,  he  wished  us 
and  his  son  welcome,  and  insisted  on  our  supping  with 
him,  which  we  did.  There  were  nine  or  ten  persons  at 
the  table.  It  being  in  the  evening,  and  we  strangers,  Mr. 
Padechal  requested  us  to  lodge  with  him  this  night,  as  we 
did,  intending  in  the  morning  to  look  out  for  accommoda- 
tions. We  were  taken  to  a  fine  large  chamber,  but  we 
were  hardly  in  bed  before  we  were  shockingly  bitten.  I 
did  not  know  the  cause,  but  not  being  able  to  sleep,  I 
became  aware  it  was  bed  bugs,  in  such  great  numbers  as 


374 


BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  HOME. 


was  inconceivable.  My  comrade  who  was  very  sleepy, 
fell  asleep  at  first.  He  tumbled  about  very  much;  but  I 
did  not  sleep  any  the  whole  night.  In  the  morning  we 
saw  how  it  was,  and  were  astonished  we  should  find  such 
a  room  with  such  a  lady. 

But  before  we  part  from  the  East  river,  we  must  briefly 
describe  it.  We  have  already  remarked  that  it  is  incor- 
rect to  call  this  stream  a  river,  as  both  ends  of  it  run  into 
the  sea.  It  is  nothing  but  salt  water,  an  arm  of  the  sea, 
embracing  Long  Island.  It  begins  at  the  Little  bay  of 
the  North  river,  before  the  city  of  New  York,  pouring  its 
waters  with  those  of  the  North  river,  into  the  sea,  between 
Sandy  hook  and  Coney  island.  In  its  mouth  before  the 
city,  and  between  the  city  and  Red  hook,  on  Long  Island, 
lies  Noten  island  opposite  the  fort,  tfie  first  place  the  Hol- 
landers ever  occupied  in  this  bay.  It  is  now  only  a  farm  with 
a  house  and  a  place  upon  it  where  the  governor  keeps  a 
parcel  of  sheep.  From  the  city,  or  from  this  island,  the 
river  runs  easterly  to  Correlaers  hoeclc,  and  the  Wale  bocht, 
where  it  is  so  narrow  they  can  readily  hear  one  another 
calling  across  it.  A  little  west  of  Correlaers  hocck,  a  reef 
of  rocks  stretches  out  towards  the  Wale  bocht,  half  way 
over,  on  which,  at  low  tide,  there  is  only  three  or  four  feet 
of  water,  more  or  less.  The  river  then  runs  up  northerly 
to  Hellgate,  where  there  is  an  island,  in  front  of  which  on 
the  south  side  are  two  rocks,  covered  at  high  water,  and 
close  to  the  island,  besides  others  which  can  be  easily  seen. 
Hellgate  is  nothing  more  than  a  bend  of  the  river,  which 
coming  up  north,  turns  thence  straight  to  the  east.  It  is 
narrow  here,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  bend  or  elbow,  lie 
several  large  rocks.  On  either  side  it  is  wider,  conse- 
quently the  current  is  much  stronger  in  the  narrow  part ; 
and  as  it  is  a  bend  the  water  is  checked,  and  made  to  eddy, 
and  then ,  striking  these  rocks,  it  must  make  its  way  to 
one  side  or  the  other,  or  to  both;  but  it  cannot  make  its 


MARTHA'S  VINEYARD. 


375 


way  to  both,  because  it  is  a  crooked  bay,  and  therefore,  it 
pursues  its  course  until  it  is  stopped  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  bay,  to  which  it  is  driven,  so  much  the  more  be- 
cause it  encounters  these  rocks  on  the  way.  Now,  between 
the  rocks,  there  is  no  current,  and  behind  them  it  is  still ; 
and  as  tbe  current  for  the  most  part  is  forced  from  one 
side,  it  finds  liberty  behind  these  rocks,  where  it  makes  a 
whirlpool.  You  must,  therefore,  be  careful  not  to  ap- 
proach this  whirlpool,  especially  with  small  vessels,  as 
you  will  be  in  danger  of  being  drawn  under.  It  makes 
such  a  whirlpit  and  whistling  that  you  can  hear  it  for  a 
quarter  of  an  hour's  distance,  but  this  is  when  the  tide  is 
ebbing,  and  only,  and  mostly,  when  it  is  running  the 
strongest.  The  river  continues  from  thence  easterly, 
forming  several  islands,  generally  on  the  left  hand  side, 
although  there  are  some  in  a  large  bay  on  the  right. 
When  you  have  passed  the  large  bay  of  Flushing,  which 
is  about  eight  miles  from  Hellgate,  or  rather,  as  soon  as 
you  get  round  the  point,  and  begin  to  see  an  opening,  you 
must  keep  well  to  the  northeast,  in  order  to  sail  clear  of  a 
long  ledge  of  rocks,  some  of  which  stick  out  of  the  water 
like  the  lizard  in  the  channel  near  Falmouth.  After  you 
have  passed  this  you  sail  easterly  along  the  shore  without 
any  thing  in  the  way.  There  are  islands  here  and  there, 
near  the  land,  but  they  are  not  large.  The  end  of  Long 
Island,  which  is  one  hundred  and  forty-four  miles  long, 
runs  off  low  and  sandy.  Continuing  east  you  pass  Plum 
island,  which  is  about  four  miles  in  length.  Behind  the 
bay  of  Long  Island  called  the  Gramme  Gouwe  (Crooked 
bay)1  there  are  several  small  islands,  Gardiner's  island, 
and  others.  At  the  east  point  of  Plum  island,  there  is  a 
reef,  or  some  small  rocks,  but  keeping  on  to  the  eastward, 
you  sail  far  enough  from  them.    From  Plum  island  to 


1  Pecouic  bay  is  meant. 


376 


BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  HOME. 


Adriacn  Blocz  island,  the  course  is  east  a  distance  of  twenty 
or  twenty-two  miles.  This  island  is  eight  miles  long. 
Thence  to  Maertens  Wingaert  the  distance  is  fifty-two  to 
fifty-six  miles  further  east,  and  Bloekx  island  is  hardly  out 
of  sight  when  you  see  Maertens  Wingaert.  Between  Plum 
island  and  Bloekx  island,  you  leave  Fisher's  island  to  the 
north,  nearest  Plum  island ;  and  between  Bloekx  island 
and  Maertens  Wingaert  you  leave  on  the  coast  Rhode  Island, 
which  does  not  lie  within  the  coast,  as  the  chart  indicates, 
but  outside,  and  lies  nearest  Maertens  Wingaert.  "With 
Maertens  Wingaert  begins  the  Elizabeth  islands,  which 
consist  of  six  or  seven  islands  lying  in  a  row,  close  to  each 
other,  towards  the  coast.  The  width  between  Maertens 
Wingaert  and  the  Elizabeth  islands  is  eight  miles.  There 
is  a  fine  sound  or  strait  for  sailing  between  them,  although 
Maertens  Wingaert  is  somewhat  longer.  This  island  is 
about  twenty-eight  miles  in  length  towards  the  east.  A 
little  within  the  east  point  of  it  a  reef  of  rocks  stretches 
out  three  miles  from  the  shore,  so  that  it  is  best  to  keep 
nearest  the  Elizabeth  islands,  although  there  is  room 
enough  between  Maertens  Wingaert  and  the  reef  to  sail 
through  with  large  ships,  as  there  is  three  and  two  and  a 
half  fathoms  of  water  at  low  tide.  At  the  westerly  point 
of  the  Elizabeth  islands  there  are  several  rocks,  one  large 
and  several  small  ones,  called  after  their  fashion,  the  Sov) 
and  Pigs.  There  is  a  beautiful  bay,  and  anchorage  ground 
[Holmes's  hole]  on  the  east  end  of  Maertens  Wingaert. 
From  this  point  of  Maertens  Wingaert  the  course  is  east 
southeast  about  twenty  miles,  to  Nantoeket  upon  the  west 
point  of  which  there  is  a  good  bay  with  anchorage  ground. 
The  land  is  low  and  sandy  ;  it  is  fourteen  or  sixteen  miles 
long.  There  are  several  shoals  outside  in  the  sea,  and  also 
inside  between  the  island  and  the  main  land,  but  they  do 
not  run  out  beyond  the  east  point.  When  you  have  the 
east  point  to  the  west  southwest  of  you,  steer  straight  north 


GOVERNOR  BRAD  STREET. 


377 


to  Cape  Cod,  about  twenty-eight  miles ;  but  you  must 
here  time  the  tides,  which  run  strong  east  and  west ;  the 
flood  to  the  west,  and  the  ebb  to  the  east.  The  flood  tide 
pulls  to  the  shoals,  and  the  ebb  tide  on  the  contrary  sets 
eastwardly  to  the  sea.  Cape  Cod  is  a  clean  coast,  where 
there  are  no  islands,  rocks  or  banks,  and,  therefore,  all 
such  laid  down  on  the  charts  of  the  great  reef  of  Malebarre 
and  otherwise  is  false.  Indeed,  within  four,  eight  and 
twelve  miles,  there  is  sixty  to  sixty-five  fathoms  of  water. 
This  cape  or  coast  is  about  twenty-eight  miles  long  due 
north;  and  from  thence  to  Cape  Ann  it  is  also  clue  north, 
but  to  Boston  it  is  northwest.  There  are  many  small 
islands  before  Boston  well  on  to  fifty,  I  believe,  between 
which  you  sail  on  to  the  city.  A  high  one,  or  the  highest, 
is  the  first  that  you  meet.  It  is  twelve  miles  from  the  city, 
and  has  a  light-house  upon  it  which  you  can  see  from  a 
great  distance,  for  it  is  in  other  respects  naked  and  bare. 
In  sailing  by  this  island,  you  keep  it  on  the  west  side  ;  on 
the  other  side  there  is  an  island  with  many  rocks  upon  and 
around  it,  and  when  you  pass  by  it  you  must  be  careful, 
as  a  shoal  pushes  out  from  it,  which  you  must  sail  round. 
You  have  then  an  island  in  front,  in  the  shape  of  a  battery 
which  also  you  leave  on  the  larboard,  and  then  you  come 
in  sight  of  the  island  upon  which  the  fort  stands,  and 
where  the  flag  is  flown  when  ships  are  entering.  That, 
too,  lies  to  the  larboard,  and  you  pass  close  enough  to  it 
for  them  to  hail  the  ship,  what  you  are,  from  whence  you 
came,  and  where  you  are  bound,  &c.  When  you  are  there 
you  see  the  city  lying  directly  before  you  ;  and  so  you  sail 
into  the  bay  before  the  town,  and  cast  anchor.  There  is  a 
high  hill  in  the  city,  also  with  a  light-house  upon  it,  by 
which  you  can  hold  your  course  in  entering. 

24(h,  Monday.  We  walked  with  our  captain  into'  the 
town,  for  his  house  stood  a  little  one  side  of  it,  and  the 
first  house  he  took  us  to  was  a  tavern.    From  there,  he 
48 


378 


BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  HOME. 


conducted  us  to  the  governor,  who  dwelt  in  only  a  common 
house,  and  that  not  the  most  costly.1  He  is  an  old  man, 
quiet  and  grave.  lie  was  dressed  in  black  silk,  hut  not 
sumptuously.  Paddechal  explained  the  reasons  of  our 
visit.  The  governor  inquired  who  we  were,  and  where 
from,  and  where  we  going.  Paddechal  told  him  we  were 
Hollanders,  and  had  come  on  with  him  from  New  York, 
in  order  to  depart  from  here,  for  England.  He  asked 
further  our  names,  which  we  wrote  down  for  him.  He 
then  presented  us  a  small  cup  of  wine,  and  with  that  we 
finished.  We  went  then  to  the  house  of  one  John  Taylor, 
to  whom  "William  Van  Cleif  had  recommended  us;  hut 
we  did  not  find  him.  We  wanted  to  obtain  a  place  where 
we  could  he  at  home,  and  especially  to  ascertain  if  there 
were  no  Dutchmen.  They  told  us  of  a  silversmith,  who 
was  a  Dutchman,  and  at  whose  house  the  Dutch  usually 
went  to  lodge.  We  went  in  search  of  him,  but  he  was 
not  at  home.  At  noon  we  found  Mr.  Taylor,  who  ap- 
peared to  be  a  good  sort  of  a  person.  He  spoke  tolerably 
good  French,  and  informed  us  there  was  a  ship  up  for 
England  immediately,  and  another  in  about  three  weeks. 
The  first  was  too  soon  for  us,  and  we  therefore,  thought  it 
best  to  wait  for  the  other.  We  also  found  the  silversmith, 
who  bade  us  welcome,  nis  name  was  William  Ross, 
from  Wesel.  He  had  married  an  Englishwoman,  and 
carried  on  his  business  here.  He  told  us  we  might  come 
and  lodge  with  him,  if  we  wished,  which  we  determined 
to  do ;  for  to  lie  again  in  our  last  night's  nest  was  not 
agreeable  to  us.  We  exchanged  some  of  our  money, 
and  obtained  six  shillings  and  six-pence  each  for  our 
ducatoons,  and  ten  shillings  each  for  the  ducats.  We 


iSLnon  Bradstreet  was  then  the  governor  of  the  colony  of  Massa- 
chusetts,  having  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  been  elected  the  preceding 
year  to  succeed  governor  Leverett.  He  died  in  1G97,  at  the  age  of  94. 
He  -was  the  husband  of  Anne  Bradstreet,  the  poetess. 


FASTING  AND  PRAYER. 


379 


went  accordingly  to  lodge  at  the  goldsmith's,  whom 
my  comrade  knew  well,  though  he  did  not  recollect  my 
comrade.  We  were  better  off  at  his  house,  for  although 
his  wife  was  an  Englishwoman,  she  was  quite  a  good 
housekeeper. 

25  th,  Tuesday.  We  went  in  search  of  Mr.  Paddechal 
this  morning  and  paid  him  for  our  passage  here,  twenty 
shillings  ~New  England  currency,  for  each  of  us.  We 
wanted  to  obtain  our  goods,  but  they  were  all  too  busy 
then,  and  promised  they  would  send  them  to  us  in  the  city 
the  next  day.  "We  inquired  after  Mr.  John  Pigeon,  to 
whom  Mr.  Robert  Sanders,  of  Albany,  promised  to  send 
Wouter,  the  Indian,  with  a  letter,  but  he  had  received 
neither  the  letter  nor  the  Indian ;  so  that  we  must  offer  up 
our  poor  Indian  to  the  pleasure  of  the  Lord.  We  also 
went  to  look  after  the  ship,  in  which  we  were  going  to 
leave  for  London.  We  understood  tbe  name  of  the  captain 
was  John  Foy.  The  ship  was  called  the  Dolphin,  and 
mounted  sixteen  guns.  Several  passengers  were  engaged. 
There  was  a  surgeon  in  the  service  of  the  ship  from  Rotter- 
clam,  named  Johan  Ovins,  who  had  been  to  Surinam  and 
afterwards  to  the  island  of  Fayal,  from  whence  he  had 
come  here,  and  now  wished  to  go  home.  There  was  also 
a  sailor  on  board  the  ship  who  spoke  Dutch,  or  was  a 
Dutchman.  The  carpenter  was  a  Norman  who  lived  at 
Flushing. 

26^?,  Wednesday.  We  strove  hard  to  get  our  goods  home, 
for  we  were  fearful,  inasmuch  as  our  trunk  was  on  deck, 
and  it  had  rained,  and  a  sea  now  and  then  had  washed 
over  it,  that  it  might  be  wet  and  ruined ;  but  we  did  not 
succeed,  and  Paddechal  in  this,  exhibited  again  his  incon- 
siderateness  and  little  regard  for  his  promise.  We  re- 
solved to  take  it  out  the  next  day,  go  as  it  would. 

21th,  Thursday.  We  went  to  the  Exchange  in  order  to 
find  Mr.  Taylor,  and  also  the  skipper,  which  we  did.  We 


380 


BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  HOME. 


agreed  for  our  passage  at  the  usual  price  of  six  pounds 
sterling  for  each  person,  with  the  choice  of  paying  here  or 
in  England ;  hut  as  we  would  hav^  less  loss  on  our  money 
here,  we  determined  to  pay  here.  After  'change  was 
over  there  was  preaching,  to  which  we  had  intended  to  go ; 
hut  as  we  had  got  our  goods  home,  after  much  trouhle,  and 
found  several  articles  wet  and  liahle  to  be  spoiled,  we  had 
to  stay  and  dry  them. 

28/A,  Friday.  One  of  the  best  ministers  in  the  place  being 
very  sick,  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer  was  observed  in  a 
church  near  by  our  house.  We  went  into  the  church 
where,  in  the  first  place,  a  minister  made  a  prayer  in  the 
pulpit,  of  full  two  hours  in  length  ;  after  which  an  old 
minister  delivered  a  sermon  an  hour  long,  and  after  that  a 
prayer  was  made,  and  some  verses  sung  out  of  the  psalms. 
In  the  afternoon,  three  or  four  hours  were  consumed  with 
nothing  except  prayers,  three  ministers  relieving  each 
other  alternately ;  when  one  was  tired,  another  went  up 
into  the  pulpit.  There  was  no  more  devotion  than  in 
other  churches,  and  even  less  than  at  New  York;  no  re- 
spect, no  reverence ;  in  a  word,  nothing  but  the  name  of 
independents;  and  that  was  all. 

29/A,  Saturday.  To  day  a  captain  arrived  from  New  York, 
named  Lucas,  who  had  sailed  from  there  last  Friday.  He  said 
no  ships  had  arrived  there  from  Europe,  and  that  matters 
remained  as  we  left  them.  There  was  a  report  that 
another  governor  was  coming  to  New  York,  and  it  was 
said  he  was  a  man,  who  was  much  liked  in  Boston; 
that  many  complaints  had  been  made  against  the  other 
one,  such  as  oppressing  the  people,  imposing  high  duties 
when  his  instructions  provided  they  should  not  be  more 
than  two  per  cent,  I  believe;  rendering  a  false  account, 
in  which  he  had  charged  a  dock  as  having  been  made 
at  a  cost  of  twenty-eight  pounds  sterling  which  had  not 
cost  a  cent,  as  the  citizens  had  constructed  it  themselves, 


REV.  JOHN  ELIOT.    THE  INDIAN  BIBLE.  381 

&C1  This  will,  perhaps,  cause  some  change  in  these  parts 
and  relieve  the  people.  Lucas  brought  with  him  the 
sister  and  brother-in-law  of  Ephraim's  wife,  recently  mar- 
ried, but  we  had  never  spoken  to  them. 

30th,  Sunday.  We  went  to  church,  but  there  was  only 
one  minister  in  the  pulpit,  who  made  a  prayer  an  hour 
long,  and  preached  the  same  length  of  time,  when  some 
verses  were  sung.  We  expected  something  particular  in 
the  afternoon,  but  there  was  nothing  more  than  usual. 

July  1st,  Monday.  We  wrote  to  de  la  Grange,  at  New 
York,  concerning  our  letters  from  Europe,  and  also  to 
Robert  Sanders,  at  Albany,  in  relation  to  Wouter. 

2d,  Tuesday.  We  had  a  conversation  with  the  captain  at 
the  Exchange.  He  intended  to  sail  round  Ireland,  which 
suited  us  very  well,  for  although  it  was  said  the  Hollanders 
were  at  peace  with  the  Turks,  there  were  many  English 
vessels  taken  by  them  daily,  and  under  such  circumstances 
we  ran  some  danger  of  being  plundered,  fighting  with 
them,  and  perhaps  being  carried  into  Barbary.  It  was, 
therefore,  better  to  go  around,  although  it  would  be  late. 
We  went  on  board  the  ship,  with  the  captain,  in  order  to 
look  through  her.  She  pleased  us  very  much,  as  she  was 
larger  than  the  Charles,  in  which  we  came  over.  We 
bespoke  a  berth  in  the  gunner's  room,  on  the  starboard 
side.  The  ship  was  said  to  be  a  good  sailer,  and  the 
captain  to  be  one  of  the  most  discreet  navigators  of  this 
country.  All  that  was  agreeable  to  us.  In  the  even- 
ing Ephraim's  wife's  sister  and  her  husband  called  upon 
us,  but  they  were  not  much  in  a  state  to  be  spoken  to,  in 
regard  to  what  was  most  necessary  for  them,  nor  was 
there  much  opportunity. 


1  These  charges  against  Andros  were  subsequently  to  this  time  officially 
inquired  into.  See  Lewin's  report  and  Andres's  answer  in  iV.  T.  Col.  Hist, 
III,  302,  308. 


382 


BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  HOME. 


M,  Wednesday.  Our  captain  said  he  would  leave  a  week 
from  to-day.    Nothing  further  occurred. 
4th,  Thursday,  Nothing  transpired. 

5th,  Wtday.  In  the  afternoon  Thomas  De  Key  and  his 
wife,  half  .sister  of  Elizabeth  Roodenherg,  came  to  visit  us, 
hut  we  conversed  little  about  religious  matters,  following 
the  providence  of  the  Lord. 

6th,  Saturday.  Nothing  occurred. 

1th,  Sunday.  We  heard  preaching  in  three  churches,  by 
persons  who  seemed  to  possess  zeal,  but  no  just  knowledge 
of  Christianity.  The  auditors  were  very  worldly  and  inat- 
tentive. The  best  of  the  ministers  whom  we  have  yet 
heard,  is  a  very  old  man,  named  John  Eliot,  who  has 
charge  of  the  instruction  of  the  Indians  in  the  Christian 
religion.  He  has  translated  the  Bible  into  their  lan^ua^e. 
We  had  already  made  inclines  of  the  booksellers  for  a 
copy  of  it,  but  it  was  not  to  be  obtained  in  Boston.  They 
told  us  if  one  was  to  be  had,  it  would  be  from  Mr.  Eliot. 
"We  determined  to  go  on  Monday  to  the  village. where  he 
resided,  and  was  the  minister,  called  Roxbury.  Our  land- 
lord had  promised  to  take  us,  but  was  not  able  to  do  so,  in 
consequence  of  his  having  too  much  business.  "We,  there- 
fore, thought  we  would  go  alone  and  do  what  we  wanted. 

8th,  Monday.  We  went  accordingly,  about  eight  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  to  Roxbury,  which  is  three-quarters  of  an 
holir  from  the  city,  in  order  that  we  might  get  home  early, 
inasmuch  as  our  captain  had  informed  us,  he  would  come 
in  the  afternoon  for  our  money,  and  in  order  that  Mr. 
Eliot  might  not  be  gone  from  home.  On  arriving  at  his 
house,  he  was  not  there,  and  we,  therefore,  went  to  look 
around  the  village,  and  the  vicinity.  We  found  it  justly 
called  Rocksbury,  for  it  was  very  rocky,  and  had  hills  en- 
tirely of  rocks.  Returning  to  his  house  we  spoke  to  him, 
and  he  received  us  politely.  Although  he  could  speak 
neither  Dutch  nor  French,  and  we  spoke  but  little  English, 


STATE  OF  EELIGION.  CAMBRIDGE. 


383 


find  were  unable  to  express  ourselves  in  it  always,  we 
managed,  by  means  of  Latin  and  English,  to  understand 
each  other.  He  was  seventy-seven  years  old,  and  had 
been  forty-eight  years  in  these  parts.  He  had  learned 
very  well  the  language  of  the  Indians,  who  lived  about 
there.  "We  asked  him  for  an  Indian  Bible.  He  said  in 
the  late  Indian  war,  all  the  Bibles  and  Testaments  were 
carried  away,  and  burnt  or  destroyed,  so  that  he  had  not 
been  able  to  save  any  for  himself;  but  a  new  edition  was 
in  press,  which  he  hoped  would  be  much  better  than  the 
first  one,  though  that  was  not  to  be  despised.  We  inquired 
whether  any  part  of  the  old  or  new  edition  could  be  ob- 
tained by  purchase,  and  whether  there  was  any  grammar 
of  that  language  in  English.  Thereupon  he  went  and 
brought  us  the  Old  Testament,  and  also  the  New  Testament, 
made  up  with  some  sheets  of  the  new  edition,  so  that  we 
had  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  complete.  He  also 
brought  us  two  or  three  small  specimens  of  the  grammar. 
We  asked  him  what  we  should  pay  him  for  them ;  but  he 
desired  nothing.  We  presented  him  our  Declaration  in 
Latin,1  and  informed  him  about  the  persons  and  condi- 
tions of  the  church,  whose  declaration  it  was,  and  about 
Madam  Schurman  and  others,  with  which  he  was  de- 
lighted, and  could  not  restrain  himself  from  praising  God, 
the  Lord,  that  had  raised  up  men,  and  reformers,  and  be- 
gun the  reformation  in  Holland.  He  deplored  the  decline 
of  the  church  in  New  England,  and  especially  in  Boston, 
so  that  he  did  not  know  what  would  be  the  final  result. 
We  inquired  how  it  stood  with  the'  Indians,  -and  whether 
any  good  fruit  had  followed  his  work.    Yes,  much,  he 


1  The  justification  of  his  separation  from  the  Walloon  church  by  de 
Labadie,  was  published  in  French,  in  a  small  tract  which  was  subsequently 
enlarged  and  printed  in  Dutch,  German  and  Latin,  and  in  the  latter  lan- 
guage, under  the  title  of,  Veritas  sui  vindex,  sen  solennis  fidei  decluralio. 
Joh.  de  Labadie,  Petri  Yton  et  Petri  du  Lignon,  pastorum,  dec.,  Hervor, 
1672  ;  and  afterwards,  further  enlarged,  at  Altona. 


384 


BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  HOME. 


said,  if  we  meant  true  conversion  of  the  heart ;  for  they 
had  in  various  countries,  instances  of  conversion,  as  they 
called  it,  and  had  seen  it  amounted  to  nothing  at  all ;  that 
they  must  not  endeavor,  like  scribes  and  pharisees,  to 
make  Jewish  proselytes,  but  true  Christians.  lie  could 
thank  God,  he  continued,  and  God  be  praised  for  it,  there 
were  Indians,  whom  he  knew,  who  were  truly  converted 
of  heart  to  God,  and  whose  profession  was  sincere.  It 
seemed  as  if  he  were  disposed  to  know  us  further,  and  we, 
therefore,  said  to  him,  if  he  had  any  desire  to  write  to  our 
people,  he  could  use  the  names  which  stood  on  the  title  page 
of  the  Declaration,  and  that  we  hoped  to  come  and  converse 
with  him  again.  He  accompanied  us  as  far  as  the  juris- 
diction of  Roxbury  extended,  where  we  parted  from  him. 

9th,  Tuesday.  We  started  out  to  go  to  Cambridge,  lying 
to  the  northeast  of  Boston,  in  order  to  see  their  college, 
and  printing  office.  We  left  about  six  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  and  were  set  across  the  river  at  Charlestown. 
We  followed  a  road  which  we  supposed  was  the  right  one, 
but  went  full  half  an  hour  out  of  the  way,  and  would  have 
gone  still  further,  had  not  a  negro  who  met  us,  and  of 
whom  we  inquired,  disabused  us  of  our  mistake.  We 
went  back  to  the  right  road,  which  is  a  very  pleasant  one. 
We  reached  Cambridge,  about  eight  o'clock.  It  is  not  a 
large  village,  and  the  houses  stand  very  much  apart.  '  The 
college  building  is  the  most  conspicuous  among  them. 
We  went  to  it,  expecting  to  see  something  curious,  as  it  is 
the  only  college,  or  would-be  academy  of  the  Protestants 
in  all  America,  but  we  found  ourselves  mistaken.  In  ap- 
proaching the  house,  we  neither  heard  nor  saw  any  thing 
mentionable;  but,  going  to  the  other  side  of  the  building, 
we  heard  noise  enough  in  an  upper  room,  to  lead  my 
comrade  to  suppose  they  were  engaged  in  disputation. 
We  entered,  and  went  up  stairs,  when  a  person  met  us, 
and  requested  us  to  walk  in,  which  we  did.    We  found 


HARVARD  COLLEGE.    PRINTING  OFFICE.  385 


there,  eight  or  ten  young  fellows,  sitting  around,  smoking 
tobacco,  with  the  smoke  of  which  the  room  was  so  full, 
that  you  could  hardly  see ;  and  the  whole  house  smelt  so 
^trong  of  it,  that  when  I  was  going  up  stairs,  I  said,  this  is 
certainly  a  tavern.  We  excused  ourselves,  that  we  could 
speak  English  only  a  little,  but  understood  Dutch  or 
French,  which  they  did  not.  However,  we  spoke  as 
well  as  we  could.  "We  inquired  how  many  professors 
there  were,  and  they  replied  not  one,  that  there  was  no 
money  to  support  one.  We  asked  how  many  students 
there  were.  They  said  at  first,  thirty,  and  then  came  down 
to  twenty ;  I  afterwards  understood  there  are  probably 
not  ten.  They  could  hardly  speak  a  word  of  Latin,  so 
that  my  comrade  could  not  converse  with  them.  They 
took  us  to  the  library  where  there  was  nothing  particular. 
We  looked  over  it  a  little.  They  presented  us  with  a 
glass  of  wine.  This  is  all  we  ascertained  there.  The 
minister  of  the  place  goes  there  morning  and  evening  to 
make  prayer,  and  has  charge  over  them.  The  students 
have  tutors  or  masters.1  Our  visit  was  soon  over,  and  we 
left  them  to  go  and  look  at  the  land  about  there.  We 
found  the  place  beautifully  situated  on  a  large  plain,  more 
than  eight  miles  square,  with  a  fine  stream  in  the  middle 
of  it,  capable  of  bearing  heavily  laden  vessels.  As  regards 
the  fertility  of  the  soil,  we  consider  the  poorest  in  ~New 
York,  superior  to  the  best  here.  As  we  were  tired,  we 
took  a  mouthful  to  eat,  and  left.    We  passed  by  the 


1  This  was  the  true  condition  of  Harvard  college  at  that  time.  There 
was  no  president.  The  Rev.  Uriau  Oakes  was  elected  in  1675,  but  de- 
clined then  to  accept  the  position.  He  was  reelected  in  February,  1679, 
but  was  not  installed  until  August,  1G80.  He  was  the  minister  of  Cam- 
bridge, and  acted  as  superintendent  of  the  college  before  he  became  presi- 
dent. The  number  of  graduates  in  1680  was  five,  and  did  not  average 
that  number  for  the  ten  preceding  years. —  Quincy's  History  of  Harvard 
University,  I,  472. 

49 


380 


HOSTO.N,  AM)  Till;  VOYAGE  HOME 


printing  office,  but  there  was  nobody  in  it;  the  paper  sash 
however  being  broken,  we  looked  in  ;  and  saw  two  presses 
with  six  or  eight  cases  of  type.  There  is  not  much  work 
done  there.  Our  printing  office  is  well  worth  two  of  it, 
and  even  more.  We  went  back  to  Charlestown,  where, 
after  waiting  a  little,  we  crossed  over  about  three  o'clock. 
We  found  our  skipper,  John  Foy,  at  the  house,  and  gave 
him  our  names,  and  the  money  for  our  passage,  six  pounds 
each.  He  wished  to  give  us  a  bill  of  it,  but  we  told  him  it 
was  unnecessary,  as  we  were  people  of  good  confidence.  I 
spoke  to  my  comrade,  and  we  went  out  with  him,  and 
presented  him  with  a  glass  of  wine.  His  mate  came  to 
him  there,  who  looked  more  like  a  merchant  than  a  sea- 
man, a  young  man  and  no  sailor.  We  inquired  how  long 
our  departure  would  be  delayed,  and,  as  we  understood 
him,  it  would  be  the  last  of  the  coming  Week.  That  was 
annoying  to  us.  Indeed,  we  have  found  the  English  the 
same  everywhere,  doing  nothing  but  lying  and  cheating, 
when  it  serves  their  interest.  Going  in  the  house  again, 
Ephraiin's  brother-in-law,  Sir.  De  Key,  and  his  wife  made 
us  a  visit. 

107/i,  Wednesday.  We  heard  that  our  captain  expected  to 
be  ready  the  first  of  the  week. 

Wth,  Thursday.  Nothing  occurred. 

12/ h,  Friday.  AVe  went  in  the  afternoon  to  Mr.  John 
Taylor's,  to  ascertain  whether  he  had  any  good  wine,  and 
to  purchase  some  for  our  voyage,  and  also  some  brandy. 
On  arriving  at  his  house,  we  found  him  a  little  cool ;  in- 
deed, not  as  he  was  formerly.  We  inquired  for  what  we 
wanted,  and  he  said  he  had  good  Madeira  wine,  but  he 
believed  he  had  no  brandy,  though  he  thought  he  could 
assist  us  in  procuring  it,  AY"e  also  inquired  how  we  could 
obtain  the  history  and  laws  of  this  place.  At  last  it  came 
out.  He  said  we  must  be  pleased  to  excuse  him  if.  he  did 
not  give  us  admission  to  his  house  ;  he  durst  not  do  it,  in 


THE  TRAVELERS  SUSPECTED. 


387 


consequence  of  there  being  a  certain  evil  report  in  the  city 
concerning  us ;  they  had  been  to  warn  him  not  to  have 
too  much  communication  with  us,  if  he  wished  to  avoid 
censure;  they  said  we  certainly  were  Jesuits,  who  had 
come  here  for  no  good,  for  we  were  quiet  and  modest,  and 
an  entirely  different  sort  of  people  from  themselves  ;  that 
.we  could  speak  several  languages,  were  cunning  and 
subtle  of  mind  and  judgment,  had  come  there  without 
carrying  on  any  traffic  or  any  other  business,  except  only 
to  see  the  place  and  country ;  that  this  seemed  fabulous  as 
it  was  unusual  in  these  parts;  certainly  it  could  be  for 
no  good  purpose.  As  regards  the  voyage  to  Europe,  we 
could  have  made  it  as  well  from  New  York  as  from 
Boston,  as  opportunities  were  offered  there.  This  suspi- 
■  cion  seemed  to  have  gained  more  strength  because  the  fire 
at  Boston  over  a  year  ago  was  caused  by  a  Frenchman. 
Although  he  had  been  arrested,  they  could  not  prove  it 
against  him;  but  in  the  course  of  the  investigation,  they 
discovered  he  had  been  counterfeiting  coin  and  had 
profited  thereby,  which  was  a  crime  as  infamous  as  the 
other.  He  had  no  trade  or  profession  ;  he  was  condemned; 
both  of  his  ears  were  cut  off;  and  he  was  ordered  to  leave 
the  country.1  Mr.  Taylor  feared  the  more  for  himself, 
particularly  because  most  all  strangers  were  addressed  to 
him,  as  we  were,  in  consequence  of  his  speaking  several 
languages,  French,  some   Dutch,  Spanish,  Portuguese, 


1  On  the  8th  of  August,  1G79,  a  great  fire  occurred  in  Boston,  in  which, 
says  Hutchinson,  "  eighty  odd  dwelling  houses,  and  seventy  odd  ware- 
houses with  several  vessels,  and  their  lading  were  consumed  to  ashes. 
The  whole  loss  was  computed  to  he  two  hundred  thousand  pounds." — 
History  of  Massachusetts,  I,  349.  Mr.  Drake  adds,  that  by  a  manuscript 
record,  it  appears  that  at  the  court  of  assistants,  held  on  the  2d  September 
following,  one  Peter  Lorphelin,  a  Frenchman,  accused  of  uttering 
rash  and  insulting  speeches  in  the  time  of  the  late  conflagration,  thereby 
rendering  himself  justly  suspicions  of  having  a  hand  therein,  was  seized 
and  committed  to  the  jails  in  Boston.    His  chest  and  writings  were  ex- 


388 


BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAOK  HOME. 


Italian,  &c,  and  could  aid  them.  There  had  also,  some 
time  ago,  a  Jesuit  arrived  here  from  Canada,  who  came  to 
him  disguised,  in  relation  to  which  there  was  much  mur- 
muring, and  they  wished  to  punish  this  Jesuit,  not  because 
he  was  a  Jesuit,  hut  because  he  came  in  disguise,  which  is 
generally  bad  and  especially  for  such  as  are  the  pests  of  the 
world,  and  are  justly  feared,  which  just  hate  we  very  un- 
justly, but  as  the  ordinary  lot  of  God's  children,  had  to 
share.  "We  were  compelled  to  speak  French,  because  we 
could  not  speak  English,  and  these  people  did  not  under- 
stand Dutch.  There  were  some  persons  in  New  York, 
who  could  speak  nothing  but  French,  and  very  little 
English.  The  French  was  common  enough  in  these  parts, 
but  it  seemed  that  we  were  different  from  them.  Of  all 
this,  we  disabused  Mr.  Taylor,  assuring  him  we  were  as 
great  enemies  of  that  brood,  as  any  persons  could  be,  and 
were,  on  the  contrary,  good  protestants  or  reformed,  born 
and  educated  in  that  faith;  that  we  spoke  only  Dutch  and 
French,  except  my  companion,  who  could  also  speak 
Latin,  and  had  not  come  here  to  trade,  but  to  examine 
the  country,  and  perhaps  some  morning  or  evening  the 
opportunity  might  arrive  for  us  to  come  over  with  our 
families,  when  affairs  in  Europe,  and  especially  in  Holland, 
might  be  settled,  as  the  times  there  had  been  bad  enough; 
that  if  they  would  be  pleased  to  listen  to  Mr.  Eliot,  the 
minister  at  Roxbury,  he  could  give  them  other  testimony 


amined.  In  his  chest  were  found  two  or  three  crucibles,  a  melting  pan,  a 
strong  pair  of  shears  to  clip  money,  and  several  clippings  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts currency,  and  some  other  instruments.  He  denied  ever  having 
made  any  use  of  these  things,  but  said  they  were  given  him  by  a  privateer! 
But  on  being  remanded  to  jail,  he  made  up  another  story  by  wbich  he 
hoped  to  clear  himself.  All,  however,  to  no  purpose.  He  was  sen- 
tenced to  stand  two  hours  in  the  pillory,  have  both  ears  cut  off,  give 
bonds  of  £500  with  two  sureties,  pay  charges  of  prosecution,  fees  of  court, 
and  stand  committed  till  the  sentence  be  performed.—  History  of  Boston, 
437,  note. 


ELIOT  AND  HIS  SON.    SHAM  BATTLE.  389 


concerning  us,  as  we  had  particularly  conversed  with  him. 
This  seemed  in  some  measure  to  satisfy  him.  I  think  this 
bad  report  was  caused  by  some  persons  who  came  from 
New  York,  truly  worldly  men,  whom  we  had  not  sought 
when  we  were  thei'e,  nor  they  us,  and  who,  although  they 
knew  better,  or  at  least  ought  to  have  known  better,  yet 
out  of  hatred  to  the  truth,  and  love  of  sin,  said  of  us  what 
they  conceived,  and  their  corruption  inclined  them  to  say. 
But  the  Lord  who  alone  knows  us  rightly  will  forgive 
them,  and  make  himself  known  to  them  if  it  pleases  him, 
and  then  they  will  know  us. 

Saturday.  As  we  had  promised  Mr.  Eliot,  to  call 
upon  him  again,  we  went  to  Roxbury  this  morning.  We 
found  him  at  home,  but  he  excused  himself  that  he  had 
not  much  time,  and  had  a  great  deal  to  do.  He  called  his 
son,  who  was  there,  and  who  also  appeared  to  be  a  minis- 
ter, to  speak  with  us  ;  but  we  excused  ourselves,  and  said 
we  would  not  hinder  him  and  would  rather  leave.  How- 
ever, several  questions  and  reasons  passed  between  us  in 
relation  to  the  Confession  which  we  had  given  him,  and 
which  he  praised  highly,  and  in  relation  to  the  professors 
of  it,  both  pastors  and  people,  in  regard  to  which  we  satis- 
fied him ;  but  the  son  who  was  neither  as  good  nor  as 
learned  as  his  father,  had  more  disposition  or  inclination 
to  ridicule  and  dispute,  than  to  edify  and  be  edified.  We 
told  him  what  was  good  for  him,  and  we  regretted  we 
could  not  talk  more  particularly  to  him.  But  the  father 
remarked  that  if  the  professors  were  truly  what  they  de- 
clared in  the  Confession,  he  could  not  sufficiently  thank 
God  for  what  he  had  done.  We  assured  him  it  was  so, 
and  took  our  leave.  He  requested  us  to  stop  and  dine 
with  him,  but  we  excused  ourselves. 

14ih,  Sunday.  We  went  to  church,  but  heard  a  most 
miserable  sermon  by  a  young  person,  a  candidate. 

15  th,  Monday.  The  burgesses  drilled  and  exercised  in 


890 


BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  BOMB, 


the  presence  of  the  governor.  There  were  eight  compa- 
nies on  foot,  and  one  on  horseback,  all  which  divided  them- 
selves into  two  troops  or  squadrons,  and  operated  against 
each  other  in  a  sham  battle,  which  was  well  performed. 
It  took  place  on  a  large  plain  on  the  side  of  the  city.  It 
did  not,  however,  terminate  so  well,  but  that  a  commander 
on  horseback  was  wounded  on  the  side  of  his  face  near  the 
eve>  the  shot  of  a  fusil,  as  it  is  usually  the  case  that  some 
accident  happens  on  such  occasions.  It  was  so  in  New 
York  at  the  last  parade,  when  two  young  men  on  horse- 
back coming  towards  each  other  as  hard  as  they  could,  to 
discharge  their  pistols,  dashed  against  each  other,  and  fell 
instantly  with  their  horses.  It  was  supposed  they  were 
both  killed,  and  also  their  horses,  for  there  were  no  signs 
of  life  in  them ;  but  they  were  bled  immediately,  and 
after  two  or  three  hours  they  began  to  recover,  and  in 
two  days  were  able  to  go  out  again.  One  of  the  horses 
died.  We  went  to  see  John  Taylor,  and  paid  him  for  the 
wine  and  brandy.  He  seemed  to  have  more  confidence  in 
us.  "We  gave  him  to  read  as  further  proofs,  the  letters 
which  Mr.  Ephraim  Hermans  and  Mr.  John  Moll  had 
written  to  us  from  the  South  river,  both  of  whom  he 
knew.  He  told  us  the  reformed  of  Rochelle  had  sent 
some  deputies  to  the  colony  of  Boston  and  the  inde- 
pendent church  there  to  request  the  liberty  to  come  over 
and  live  in  a  place  near  them,  or  among  them,  and  in 
their  country,  which  was  granted  them;  and  that  they 
returned  home  three  months  ago.1 

16th,  Tuesday.  We  packed  our  goods  in  readiness  to 
leave. 


1  We  find  no  allusion  to  this  deputation  of  the  Huguenots  of  Rochelle, 
in  any  of  the  writers  or  annalists  of  New  England.  In  regard  to  the 
settlement  by  the  French  protestants  five  or  six  years  later  at  Oxford,  in 
Massachusetts,  see  Dr.  Holmes's  Memoir  in  Collections  of  the  Massachusetts 
Historical  Society,  3d  Series,  II,  1-83. 


A  THUNDER  STORM.    PUT  TO  SEA. 


391 


17th,  Wednesday.  We  placed  our  goods  on  board  ship. 

18th,  Thursday.  We  took  leave  of  Mr.  Taylor,  thanking 
him  for  his  attention  and  kindness,  and  presented  him 
with  a  copy  of  our  Cantiques  Sacrees,  for  which  he  was 
thankful.  We  would  cheerfully  have  given  him  the 
Maxhnes 1  also,  hut  our  goods  were  packed  on  board  the 
ship,  and  we  could  not  get  at  them.  He  was  now  of  a 
better  mind  and  well  satisfied,  returning  us  our  letters 
with  thanks.  While  we  were  sitting  at  table  this  noon,  it 
thundered  very  hard,  whereupon  one  of  the  daughters  of 
the  woman  of  the  house  where  we  were  staying,  com- 
menced to  scream  and  cry.  We  asked  her  if  she  were 
afraid  of  the  thunder,  upon  which  her  mother  inquired  of 
us,  if  we  were  not.  Wt  said  no,  but  the  word  had  scarcely 
escaped  our  lips  before  there  came  a  frightful  clap,  which 
seemed  to  cleave  the  heart  from  the  body,  and  entirely 
changed  our  ideas.  My  comrade,  Mr.  Vorsman,  turned 
as  pale  as  a  white  sheet,  and  could  hardly  speak.  I  was 
fearful  he  had  met  with  some  mishap,  but  he  recovered 
himself.  It  was  said  there  had  scarcely  ever  been  heard 
there  such  thunder.  One  man  was  killed,  and  two  others 
not  far  from  being  so.  These  three  persons  were  running 
in  a  field,  and  two  of  them  seeing  and  hearing  the  weather 
lay  down  flat  on  the  ground  under  a  tree ;  the  third  man 
played  stout  and  brave,  jeering  at  the  others  who  called  to 
him  to  come  with  them.  Soon  the  lio-htuinc;  struck  him 
dead  to  the  earth,  and  separated  the  other  two  from  each 
other.  There  was  also  a  hard  rock,  not  far  from  our  lodg- 
ings, split  through. 

19th,  Friday  and  20th,  Saturday.  Nothing  occurred. 

21st,  Sunday.  Coming  out  of  the  church,  Mr.  Taylor 


1  This  work  was,  an  "  Abrege  du  Heritable  Chrutianisnie  on  reeandl  des 
Maxintes  Chretiennes.  Par  Jean  de  Labadie."  A  second  edition  in  French 
was  published  at  Amsterdam,  in  1685. 

a 


392 


BOSTON,  AM)  Till:  VOYAGE  IIOMK. 


spoke  to  us,  and  invited  us  to  dine  with  him,  hut  we 
thanked  him. 

22^/,  Monday.  We  took  our  leave,  and  went  on  boon! 
the  ship,  which  was  all  ready  to  sail,  exeept  they  were 
waiting  for  the  captain. 

23</,  Thursday.  After  some  delay  the  eaptain  came  on 
hoard  with  the  rest  of  the  passengers,  accompanied  hy 
many  of  their  friends.  Weighed  anchor  at  three  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  it  heing  most  low  water,  and  set  sail  with 
a  southwest  and  south  southwest  wind.  In  passing  the 
fort  we  fired  the  salvo,  which  it  answered ;  the  pilot  and 
the  company  then  left  us  and  we  put  to  sea.  But  hefore 
going  farther  to  sea  we  must  give  a  brief  description  of 
New  England,  and  the  city  of  Boston  in  particular. 

When  New  Netherland  was  first  discovered  hy  the 
Hollanders,  the  evidence  is  that  New  England  was  not 
known ;  hecause  the  Butch  East  India  Company  then 
sought  a  passage  by  the  west,  through  which  to  sail  to 
Japan  and  China;  and  if  New  England  had  been  then 
discovered,  they  would  not  have  sought  a  passage  there, 
knowing  it  to  be  the  main  land;  just  as  when  New 
Netherland  and  New  England  did  become  known,  such  a 
passage  was  sought  no  longer  through  them,  but  further 
to  the  north  through  Bavis  and  Hudson  straits.  The 
Hollanders  when  they  discovered  New  Netherland,  em- 
braced under  that  name  and  title,  all  the  coast  from 
Virginia  or  Cape  Hinloopen,  eastwardly  to  Cape  Cod,  as 
it  was  then  and  there  discovered  by  them  and  designated 
by  Butch  names,  as  sufficiently  appears  by  the  charts. 
The  English  afterwards  discovered  New  England  and 
settled  there.  They  increased  so  in  consequence  of  the 
great  liberties  and  favorable  privileges  which  the  king 
granted  to  the  Independents,  that  they  went  to  live  not 
only  west  of  Cape  Cod  and  Rhode  Island,  but  also  on 
Long  Island  and  other  places,  and  even  took  possession  of 


THE  INDEPENDENTS  OF  NEW  ENGLAND.  393 

the  whole  of  the  Fresh  river  [the  Connecticut],  which  the 
Hollanders  there  were  not  able  to  prevent,  in  consequence 
of  their  small  force  in  New  Netherland,  and  the  scanty 
population.  The  English  went  more  readily  to  the  west, 
because  the  land  was  much  better  there,  and  more  accessi- 
ble to  vessels,  and  the  climate  was  milder;  and  also 
because  they  could  trade  more  conveniently  with  the 
Hollanders,  and  be  supplied  by  them  with  provisions. 
New  -England  is  now  described  as  extending  from  the 
Fresh  river  to  Cape  Cod  and  thence  to  Kennebec,  com- 
prising three  provinces  or  colonies,  Fresh  river  or  Con- 
necticut; Rhode  Island  and  the  other  islands  to  Cape  Cod; 
and  Boston,  which  stretches  from  thence  north.  They 
are  subject  to  no  one,  but  acknowledge  the  king  of 
England  for  their  honor  (eer1),  and  therefore  no  ships  enter 
■  unless  they  have  English  passports  or  commissions.  They 
have  free  trade  with  all  countries ;  but  the  return  cargoes 
from  there  to  Europe,  go  to  England,  except  those  which 
go  under  the  thumb  [secretly]  to  Holland.  There  is  no  toll 
or  duty  paid  upon  merchandise  exported  or  imported,  nor 
is  there  any  import  or  excise  paid  upon  land.  Each 
province  chooses  its  own  governor  from  the  magistracy, 
and  the  magistrates  are  chosen  from  the  principal  inhabit- 
ants, merchants  or  planters.  They  are  all  Independents  in 
matters  of  religion,  if  it  can  be  called  religion ;  many  of 
them  perhaps  more  for  the  purposes  of  enjoying  the  benefit 
of  its  privileges  than  for  any  regard  to  truth  and  godliness. 
I  observed  that  while  the  English  flag  or  color  has  a  red 
ground  with  a  small  white  field  in  the  uppermost  corner 
where  there  is  a  red  cross,  they  have  here  dispensed  with 
this  cross  in  their  colors,  and  preserved  the  rest.  They 
baptize  no  children  except  those  of  the  members  of  the 
congregation.     All  their  religion  consists  in  observing 


So  in  the  original.   Probably  heer  is  intended,  that  is,  lord. 
50  • 


394 


BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  IIOME. 


Sunday,  by  not  working  or  going  into  the  taverns  on  that 
day;  but  the  houses  are  worse  than  the  taverns.  No 
stranger  or  traveler  can  therefore  be  entertained  on  a 
Sunday,  wmch  begins  at  sunset  on  Saturday,  and  continues 
until  the  same  time  on  Sunday.  At  these  two  hours  you 
see  all  their  countenances  change.  Saturday  evening  the 
constable  goes  round  into  all  the  taverns  of  the  city  for 
the  purpose  of  stopping  all  noise  and  debauchery,  which 
frequently  causes  him  to  stop  his  search,  before  his  search 
causes  the  debauchery  to  stop.  There  is  a  penalty  for 
cursing  and  swearing,  such  as  they  please  to  impose,  the 
witnesses  thereof  being  at  liberty  to  insist  upon  it.  Never- 
theless, you  discover  little  difference  between  this  and 
other  places.  Drinking  and  fighting  occur  there  not  less 
than  elsewhere;  and  as  to  truth  and  true  godliness,  you 
must  not  expect  more  of  them  than  of  others.  When  we  . 
were  there,  four  ministers'  sons  were  learning  the  silver- 
smith's trade. 

The  soil  is  not  as  fertile  as  in  the  west.  Many  persons 
leave  there  to  go  to  the  Delaware  and  New  Jersey.  They 
manure  their  lands  with  heads  of  fish.  They  gain  their 
living  mostly,  or  very  much  by  fish,  which  they  salt  and 
dry  for  selling;  and  by  raising  horses,  oxen  and  cows,  as 
well  as  hogs  and  sheep,  which  they  sell  alive,  or  slaugh- 
tered and  salted,  in  the  Caribbean  islands  and  other  places. 
They  are  not  as  good  farmers  as  the  Hollanders  about 
New  York. 

As  to  Boston  particularly,  it  lies  in  latitude  42°  20'  on 
a  very  fine  bay.  The  city  is  quite  large,  constituting  about 
twelve  companies.  It  has  three  churches,  or  meeting 
houses,  as  they  call  them.  All  the  houses  are  made  of 
thin,  small  cedar  shingles,  nailed  against  frames,  and  then 
filled  in  with  brick  and  other  stuff;  and  so  are  their  churches. 
For  this  reason  these  towns  are  so  liable  to  fires,  as  have 
already  happened  several  times ;  and  the  wonder  to  me  is, 


BOSTON  HARBOR.   THE  PASSENGERS.  $95 


that  the  whole  city  has  not  been  burnt  down,  so  light  and 
dry  are  the  materials.  There  is  a  large  dock  in  front  of 
it  constructed  of  wooden  piers,  where  the  large  ships  go  to 
be  careened  and  rigged ;  the  smaller  vessels  all  come  up 
to  the  city.  On  the  left  hand  side  across  the  river,  lies 
Charlestown,  a  considerable  place,  where  there  is  some 
shipping.  Upon  the  point  of  the  bay,  on  the  left  hand, 
there  is  a  block-house,  along  which  a  piece  of  water  runs, 
called  the  Milk  ditch.  The  whole  place  has  been  an  island, 
but  it  is  now  joined  to  the  main  land  by  a  low  road  to 
Eoxbury.  In  front  of  the  town  there  are  many  small 
islands,  between  which  you  pass  in  sailing  in  and  out.  On 
one  of  the  middlemost  stands  the  fort  where  the  ships 
show  their  passports.  ,  At  low  tide  the  water  in  the 
channel  between  the  islands  is  three  and  a  half  and  four 
fathoms  deep,  in  its  shallowest  part.  You  sail  from  the 
city  southeasterly  to  the  fort,  bypassing  Governor's  island 
on  the  larboard,  and  having  passed  the  fort,  you  keep  close 
to  the  south,  then  southeast,  and  gradually  more  to  the  east 
to  the  sea.  On  reaching  the  sea  we  set  our  course  due 
east,  with  the  wind  south  southeast,  and  made  good  pro- 
gress. 

24th,  Wednesday.  The  wind  and  our  course  continued 
the  same ;  but  it  is  to  be  observed,  the  compass  here  is  a 
point  and  a  half  northwesting.  We  spoke  an  English  ship 
bound  to  Virginia.  We  found  our  latitude  40'  north,  and 
the  distance  we  had  sailed  96  miles. 

25th,  Thursday.  The  wind  became  more  southerly,  but 
we  held  our  course  the  same  as  before,  or  east  by  south. 
Latitude  42°  68'.  Distance  reckoned  to  be  136  miles. 
The  English  ship  which  had  remained  in  company  until 
now,  left  us.  It  began  to  blow  so  hard  in  the  evening, 
that  we  had  to  reef  the  topsails  and  take  in  the  mainsail, 
and  proceed  with  the  mizzensail  and  foresail. 

26th,  Friday.  The  wind  was  due  south,  although  it  had 


:>,<M  BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  HOME. 

been  a  little  more  westerly  during  the  night.  We  observed 
the  latitude  42°  51' ;  reckoned  the  distance  run  96  miles. 

We  had  stipulated  when  we  engaged  our  passage,  to  eat 
in  the  cabin,  but  when  we  got  to  sea,  we  did  not  do  so. 
There  were  ten  passengers  besides  us  two,  and  among 
them  two  females.  These  ten  had  jointly  bought  a  large 
quantity  of  provisions  and  groceries,  and  placed  them  in 
the  cabin,  they  having  such  power  over  the  captain.  We 
were  therefore  compelled  to  remain  outside,  although  we 
remonstrated.  We  saw  afterwards  that  it  was  the  Lord's 
doings,  who  would  not  that  we  should  be  in  nearer  com- 
munion with  such  wicked  persons.  We  then  arranged  to 
eat  with  the  mate  and  another  passenger  above  on  the  half 
deck.  We  four  brought  together  what  provisions  we  had, 
and  were  well  satisfied  with  each  other.  We  had  to-day 
a  good  topsail  breeze  and  fine  weather. 

27/A,  Saturday.  It  was  rainy  during  the  night;  and 
although  our  bunk  was  in  the  gunner's  room,  it  leaked  in 
there  very  much.  At  sunrise  it  cleared  up  a  little.  We 
could  not  obtain  any  observation,  but  supposed  the  latitude 
wras  43°.  The  course  was  east  southeast,  the  distance 
run  100  miles.  As  it  was  Saturday  evening  a  hog  was 
killed,  there  being  seven  or  eight  on  board  the  ship. 

28th,  Sunday.  The  weather  was  fine,  with  a  westerly 
wind,  but  not  an  entirely  clear  atmosphere. 

Among  the  passengers  in  the  cabin  was  a  minister,  an 
Independent,  who  had  formerly  been  in  the  East  Indies,  at 
Bantam  on  the  island  of  Java.  He  had  been  visiting  his 
friends  in  Xew  England,  but  undoubtedly  could  not  obtain 
any  situation  among  them,  and  was  returning  to  England 
in  order  to  sail  if  he  could  in  the  first  ships  back  to  the 
Indies.  This  poor  minister,  every  morning  and  evening, 
made  a  prayer,  read  some  chapters  out  of  the  Old  and  Xew 
Testaments,  and  sang  a  psalm,  all  after  the  manner  of  the 
Independents.    On  Sundays  he  preached  both  in  the  morn- 


FINE  FISHING  ON  THE  BANKS. 


397 


ingancl  afternoon,  and  we  attended  in  order  to  avoid  scandal 
and  dissipate  as  much  as  possible  the  breath  of  calumny. 

"We  could  not  obtain  any  altitude  to-day,  in  consequence 
of  the  haze.  Our  course  had  been  almost  the  whole  night 
southeast  by  east  and  the  course  was  therefore  east  by  south ; 
the  distance  was  upwards  of  eighty  miles.  At  noon  it  be- 
came calm,  afterwards  rainy,  and  in  the  evening  the  wind 
changed  to  the  northwest,  but  continued  still. 

29lh,  Monday.  We  found  the  height  of  the  pole  at  noon 
to-day  43°  29',  as  to  which  another  person  and  myself,  who 
took  the  height,  differed  twenty  minutes,  and  others  ten. 
The  distance  run  was  forty  miles ;  the  course  was  about 
east.  At  noon  a  strong  breeze  sprung  out  of  the  northwest 
and  we  therefore  went  ahead  again  on  a  course  east  north- 
east.   Gave  a  ham  from  our  stores  to  be  cooked. 

SOih,  Tuesday.  The  wind  northwest  and  our  course  east 
southeast.  We  had  run  only  about  eighty  miles.  Lati- 
tude 43°  43'.  How  unskillfully  the  steering  was  managed 
I  cannot  say.  We  supposed  we  had  now  passed  the  island 
of  Sable,  and  held  our  course  for  the  banks  of  Newfound- 
land. It  was  quite  calm  in  the  evening.  We  were  daily 
amused  at  the  swimming  and  tumbling  of  potshead  whales, 
and  the  swiftness  of  the  tunnies  which  are  much  more 
numerous  here  than  about  Europe ;  but  we  observed  no 
other  fish. 

•  31st,  Wednesday.  The  wind  east  and  east  by  south,  but 

light.  Could  not  sail  south  southeast  as  we  had  done 
during  the  night,  and  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  we 
wore  ship  and  were  thus  enabled  to  sail  about  northeast. 
We  took  the  altitude  of  the  pole  above  the  horizon, 
and  found  it  43°  52'.  Our  whole  progress  was  32  miles  to 
the  northeast.  We  could  afterwards  sail  east  northeast, 
but  made  little  progress.  Towards  evening  it  began  to 
blow  a  little  from  the  southeast,  which  caused  us  to  go 
ahead  more. 
I 


398 


BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  HOME. 


August  1st,  Thursday.  The  beginning  of  this  month 
brought  fo  mind  that  we  were  in  this  region  a  year  ago. 
We  made  good  progress  last  night,  east  northeast.  It  was 
misty  and  rainy  for  which  reason  we  could  not  take  an 
observation.  We  reckoned  we  were  in  45°  20'  and  had 
sailed  96  miles,  being  about  100  miles  northeast  by  north 
from  Cape  Race.  The  water  was  very  clear  which  in- 
duced us  to  believe  we  were  on  a  bank,  not  the  great  bank 
of  Newfoundland,  but  the  bank  they  call  Banc  au  vert. 
After  dinner  the  deep  lead  was  thrown,  as  we  had  done  for 
two  or  three  days  previously  without  sounding  bottom. 
We  now  found  thirty-eight  fathoms  of  water  and  a  bottom 
of  white  sand  and  small  pebbles.  Every  thing  was  pre- 
pared in  order  to  fish,  most  of  the  sails  taken  in,  and  the  rest 
muzzled.  We  had  at  first  three  hooks  and  towards  the 
last  another,  and  in  about  three  hours  caught  one  hundred 
and  fifty  large  codfish,  which  the  captain  salted  down  for 
the  ship's  provision.  We  had  fresh  fish  for  a  day  or  two, 
but  the  English  do  not  understand  how  to  cook  or  dress 
fish.  Catching  such  a  large  quantity  of  fish  in  such  a  short 
time,  was  very  exciting ;  it  seemed  as  if  the  entire  bottom 
of  the  sea  were  covered  with  them,  but  you  did  not  see 
them.  Two  hooks  were  constantly  being  pulled  up  while 
the  others  were  being  let  down.  Our  hearts  could  not  other- 
wise than  ascend  to  God,  admiring  him  as  the  source  of 
such  abundance,  in  the  bosom  of  the  wide  ocean  as  well  as 
upon  the  land,  of  creatures  which  he  subjects  as  it  were  by 
force,  to  unworthy  and  sinful  men,  who  instead  of  being 
drawn  thereby  to  him  to  glorify  him  and  sanctify  them- 
selves and  these  creatures,  by  their  use,  to  God,  are  not 
only  not  affected  at  his  plenitude  and  goodness,  but  mis- 
use such  good  creatures  to  the  scorn  and  dishonor  of  their 
Creator.  I  let  my  thoughts  run  as  they  come.  I  have 
found  this  reason  for  there  being  so  many  more  fish  at 
these  places  than  at  others.    Although  these  banks  are 


WHAT  THE  FISH  FEED  ON  THERE. 


399 


from  200  to  250  miles  distant  from  Cape  Race,  the  nearest 
land,  there  is,  nevertheless,  a  great  stream  which  can  be 
easily  discerned  by  the  eye  and  is  also  found  by  observa- 
tions in  sailing.  This  current,  or  stream,  coming  across 
the  entire  sea,  as  we  have  shown,  by  the  Caribbean  islands, 
stopping  and  turning  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  running 
thence  through  the  channel  of  the  Bahamas,  along  the 
coast  of  Florida,  Virginia,  New  Netherland,  New  England, 
and  Acadia  to  this  latitude  —  this  great  stream,  scouring 
all  along  the  coast,  carries  with  it  whatever  is  found  there, 
of  food  for  fish,  and  also  whatever  is  discharged  into  the  sea, 
out  of  the  numerous  rivers  it  passes  by,  and  brings  the 
loose  soil,  pebbles,  rubbish  and  food  to  these  banks. 

The  reason  why  these  are  stopped  here,  and  washed  no 
further  is,  because  a  counter  current  comes  behind  Iceland, 
from  Davis  and  Hudson  straits,  and  from  the  great  river 
St.  Lawrence  or  Canada,  and  meet  upon  the  point  of  Cape 
Race,  and  there  make  whirlpools  with  each  other.  In 
consequence  of  these  whirlpools  and  choppings,  all  the  stuff 
for  the  food  of  fish  is  collected  together;  and  as  this  is 
constantly  brought  there  by  the  stream  so  also  are  the  fish. 
The  codfish  feed  upon  a  species  of  crab  or  sea  spider,  and 
a  small  fish  which  lives  in  the  sand,  that  we  call  smelt,  in 
Zeeland,  where  many  are  taken  from  the  sand  on  the 
shores.  The  bank  upon  which  we  caught  them  is  desig- 
nated on  the  sea  chart  by  the  name  of  Banc  au  vert. 

The  wind  changed  in  the  evening  and  blew  harder. 
"We  therefore  left  off  fishing,  and  set  the  sails  again. 
The  wind  was  easterly  and  we  laid  our  course  south,  sail- 
ing southeasterly,  but  with  short  sails.  The  wind  in- 
creased so  that  we  had  to  take  in  the  foresail,  and  lie  by. 
It  seemed  as  if  we  were  compelled  to  pay  for  the  pleasure 
of  fishing  and  fish. 

2d,  Friday.  It  blew  hard  all  night  with  a  heavy  beating 
of  the  sea  in  front.    At  the  head  of  our  bunk  in  the  gun- 


400 


BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  HOME. 


ner's  room,  was  a  bunk  crosswise,  before  tbe  stem  of  the 
ship,  and  up  almost  against  tbe  deck.  In  this  bunk  there 
was  a  small  window,  which  the  passenger  who  slept  there 
had  forgotten  to  shut,  and  through  which  the  water  came 
occasionally  upon  him  in  consequence  of  the  rolling  of  the 
sea.  It  came  so  strong  at  last  that  he  became  frightened, 
gasping  for  breath  and  screaming  as  if  he  had  fallen  into 
the  sea.  Indeed  he  not  only  thought  he  was  in  the  sea, 
but  that  he  alone  was  sinking.  He  awakened  us  all  up, 
but  we  had  to  laugh  at  him. 

We  had  drifted  about  eight  miles  north  while  we  were 
fishing,  as  the  wind  was  easterly.  When  the  day  broke, 
and  after  prayer,  the  mainsail  was  reefed  so  that  it  ex- 
tended a  little  over  the  stem  of  the  ship.  Steering  south- 
•east  with  a  course  south  by  east  or  south  southeast  we 
reckoned  our  progress  in  all  twenty-eight  miles.  At 
evening  it  was  calmer. 

3d,  Saturday.  Although  it  was  more  calm,  we  remained 
under  short  sails,  with  a  frightful  jolting  and  pitching  of 
the  ship,  in  consequence  of  fhe  sea  rolling  in  front  of  us, 
loosening  and  making  every  thing  crack.  In  the  forenoon 
the  reefs  were  let  out  and  topsail  set,  but  we  did  not  make 
much  headway.  "We  calculated  we  had  made  thirty-two 
miles,  and  the  latitude  was  44°  35'.  At  three  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  we  wore  ship  to  the  north,  and  laid  our 
course  northeast,  that  is,  with  the  variation,  northeast  by 
north.  The  wind  gradually  veered  to  the  south  and  in- 
creased some,  but  the  sea  was  not  entirely  quiet. 

4th,  Sunday.  Wind  southwest,  and  course  same  as  be- 
fore. We  could  not  obtain  an  observation,  but  reckoned 
the  latitude  44°  6'  and  the  distance  sixty  miles.  It  was 
very  foggy ;  nevertheless,  saw  six  or  eight  vessels  fishing, 
which  we  supposed  were  French,  but  we  spoke  none  of 
them.  I  had  several  times  suspected  that  our  small 
stock  of  wine,  which  was  lying  behind  our  berth,  had  suf- 


STILL  ON  THE  BANKS. 


401 


fered  an  attack,  for  I  thought  I  could  perceive  it  had,  as 
well  as  our  bottle  case  of  brandy;  but  to-day,  after  we 
came  from  prayer,  wishing  to  tap  a  little  of  it,  we  found  it 
had  been  touched,  and  a  fourth  part  of  it  gone.  "We  were, 
therefore,  compelled  to  remove  both  wine  and  brandy  from 
there  and  place  them  in  the  hut.  It  seems,  while  we  sat  at 
prayer,  they  went  out  in  order  to  play  this  trick,  and  had 
performed  it  several  times.  And,  therefore,  although  it 
was  Sunday,  we  removed  them  in  order  that  they  might 
be  protected  from  such  birds  of  prey. 

5th,  Monday.  The  course  at  one  time  was  east  by  south, 
and  afterwards  east.  The  distance  was  east  sixty-six 
miles.  The  wind  west  northwest  and  northwest.  We 
could  take  no  observation,  and  we  reckoned  the  latitude 
45°  15'.  We  had  thrown  the  lead  early,  and  found  thirty- 
eight  fathoms  of  water.  The  sails  were  taken  in,  and  we 
began  to  fish,  but  caught  nothing.  We  drifted  without 
any  wind,  and  made  little  or  no  progress.  In  the  afternoon 
we  caught  a  fine  codfish,  whereupon  the  sails  which  had 
been  set,  were  taken  in,  in  order  to  fish  again,  but  it  was  in 
vain.  Several  whales  came  to-day  to  amuse  us  by  their 
swimming  and  tumbling,  as  a  recompense  for  our  catching 
no  fish. 

6th,  Tuesday.  Fourteen  days  at  sea.  We  had  made  little 
progress  during  the  night,  but  with  the  day  came  a  fresh 
breeze  from  the  south  and  southwest.  We  set  all  our  sails 
and  made  good  headway.  It  being  misty  at  noon,  we 
were  prevented  from  taking  an  observation,  but  calcu- 
lated the  latitude  45°,  50',  and  the  distance  upwards  of 
forty  miles.  The  course  was  east  northeast,  that  is,  north- 
east by  east.  The  captain  supposed  we  were  still  on  the 
Banc  au  vert,  and  had  not  yet  reached  the  great  bank. 
We  threw  the  lead  at  evening,  although  the  water  was  black, 
but  we  run  out  more  than  140  fathoms  without  finding 
bottom.  The  reason  that  our  captain  was  fearful,  was  be- 
51 


402 


BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  HOME. 


cause  on  the  land  side  of  the  great  hank  of  Newfoundland 
there  are  twenty  large  rocks  about  sixty  miles  from  Cape 
Race,  lying  southeast  and  northwest,  which  he  last  year 
came  very  near  to,  and  was  in  great  danger.  "We  were 
compelled  this  evening  to  eat  in  the  cabin,  where  those 
wretches  laughed  at  our  going  upon  deck,  which  we  were 
obliged  to  do  in  order  not  to  give  them  any  umbrage,  and  on 
the  other  hand  to  take  care  lest  we  might  be  like  them  in 
any  thing. 

7th,  Wednesday.  The  wind  and  course  as  before ;  atmo- 
sphere misty,  and  we  therefore  could  not  obtain  the  altitude. 
"We  calculated  we  were  in  47°  10',  and  that  the  distance 
sailed  was  128  miles.  In  the  afternoon,  the  wind  was  more 
westerly,  and  even  northwesterly.  We  went  along  tolera- 
bly well  the  whole  night. 

S(h,  Thursday.  The  ship  ran  160  to  108  miles  in  the 
twenty-four  hours.  It  blew  a  storm  in  the  first  part  of  the 
night  from  the  northwest;  but  after  midnight  it  subsided, 
though  the  sea  hove  so,  that  not  only  was  the  progress 
stopped,  but  the  ship  tossed  and  pitched  exceedingly. 

9th,  Friday.  The  wind  was  less  at  daylight,  and  the 
pitching  of  the  ship  gradually  lessened.  Reckoned  the 
latitude  49°  30',  and  the  distance  140  miles.  About  mid- 
night the  wind  shifted  to  the  southwest,  and  afterwards 
south  southwest,  with  heavy  rain.  The  course  was  a  little 
northeast  by  east,  and  afterwards  in  order  to  keep  the  ship 
straight  before  the  wind,  northeast  by  north. 

lOih,  Saturday.  The  wind  began  with  the  day  to  subside 
gradually.  The  course  was  laid  northeast.  We  reckoned 
the  distance  120  miles. 

11th,  Sunday.  It  was  quite  good  weather,  but  cloudy. 
The  captain  took  an  observation  as  well  as  he  could,  which 
gave  52°  23'.  The  distance  was  reckoned  100  miles.  The 
captain  and  mate  took  an  observation  of  the  north  star. 

12th,  Monday.  The  wind  west  northwest,  a  light  topsail 


CARDS.    SPOILED  FISH. 


403 


breeze.  Obtained  a  good  observation  ;  and  fonnd  tbe  lati- 
tude 53°  46',  tbe  distance  sailed  136  miles,  tbe  course  beld 
northeast.    We  were  now  about  640  miles  from  Ireland. 

13^/t,  Tuesday.  Tbe  wind  northwest,  and  north  northwest, 
with  a  cloudy  sky.  Course  northeast  by  east.  Tbe  dis- 
tance sailed  118  miles. 

14^A,  Wednesday.  Last  evening  tbe  wind  was  northeast 
and  north  northeast,  and  we  had,  therefore,  to  sail  on  seve- 
ral courses,  but  the  course  held  was  east  by  south,  and  the 
distance  made  60  miles.  Although  it  began  to  be  cold  we 
could  endure  it  the  more  cheerfully  because  we  were 
approaching  home. 

15th,  Tlmrsday.  It  became  quite  calm.  We  obtained  an 
observation  at  noon,  and  found  the  latitude  54°  49'.  The 
distance  was  56  miles,  and  the  course  held  east  by  south, 
a  little  more  easterly,  but  by  noon  it  began  to  blow  so  that 
the  topsails  had  to  be  reefed.  Our  passengers,  who  sat 
every  night,  almost  the  whole  night,  playing  cards,  minister 
and  all,  bad  played  and  drank  so  this  night,  that  they  were 
at  daylight  assaulting  each  other  pell  mell.  They  fre- 
quently deprived  us  of  sleep.  We  had  to  thank  God, 
which  we  did  in  our  hearts,  that  he  had  kept  us  from  being 
in  their  company. 

16ih,  Friday.  The  wind  as  before,  and  the  progress  good. 
The  course  northeast.  We  obtained  a  good  observation  of 
56°  20'.  The  distance  sailed  was  132  miles.  In  the  after- 
noon the  wind  was  west  and  west  southwest. 

At  the  time  the  sea  burst  into  the  gunner's  room,  it  ran 
into  the  powder  room  where  there  was  a  large  quantity 
of  dry  fish.  This  began  to  rot,  and  for  a  long  time 
caused  a  stench  in  the  gunner's  room,  the  cause  of  which  we 
could  not  imagine.  We  could  hardly  stay  there  day  or 
night.  There  was  also  lying  in  the  crib  a  wounded  Hol- 
steiner,  who  had  lain  sick  three  years  with  his  wound  at 
Boston,  and  was  now  going  to  Europe.    We  gave  this 


404 


BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  HOME. 


poor  fellow  all  the  blame  of  the  stench,  and  not  altogether 
unjustly,  for  he  could  not  help  himself  much;  but,  never- 
theless, we  had  done  him  wrong,  for  the  powder  room  being 
opened,  all  the  fish  had  to  be  brought  up  in  order  to  be 
dried,  and  those  which  were  spoiled  thrown  overboard. 
There  was  also  a  large  chest  of  cloaks,  all  new,  which  had 
been  taken  to  the  Barbados  for  sale,  and  thence  to  Boston  ; 
but  were  now  being  carried  from  Boston  to  England, 
because  they  could  not  be  sold.  They  were  now  wet  with 
foul,  salt  and  stinking  water,  and  half  spoiled.  There  was 
also  a  case  of  white  braided  gloves  for  women  and  children, 
which  had  to  be  washed  in  fresh  water  and  dried,  and  a 
large  parcel  of  beaver  skins. 

17/A,  Saturday*  I  slept  very  little  last  night  in  conse- 
quence of  the  noise.  We  had  sailed  during  the  night  a 
little  to  the  east,  because  our  captain  was  afraid  of  falling 
on  the  island  of  Bus,  as  he  was  not  much  west  of  it,  though 
according  to  our  reckoning  he  was  to  the  east  of  it.  We 
found  our  latitude  was  57°  30',  and  therefore  hoped  to  pass 
Bus  and  the  rock  Rockol.  We  sailed  on  several  courses, 
but  the  one  maintained  was  northeast  by  north.  The  dis- 
tance sailed  was  100  miles.  I  remained  on  deck  myself, 
in  order  to  keep  a  lookout  for  the  great  rock  Rockol. 

18M,  Sunday.  We  took  an  observation.  Latitude  58°  30'. 
It  was  very  cold  here  and  the  days  long.  The  wind  con- 
tinued northeast  and  north  northeast,  with  hard  weather, 
which  caused  us  to  take  in  our  sails,  and  about  ten  o'clock 
in  the  evening  to  tack  about. 

19th}  Monday.  We  obtained  an  observation  at  57°  51', 
and  we  still  more  believed  we  were  before  the  rock  Rockol, 
which  lies  in  57°  40' :  but  we  put  our  hope  and  trust  in 
God,  committing  ourselves  into  his  hands. 

20th,  Tuesday.  It  became  gradually  more  still,  and  at  last 
we  could  sail  east  northeast,  and  northeast.  We  had  sailed 
72  miles.    We  could  not  take  an  observation. 


THE  NORTH  ATLANTIC. 


405 


21st,  Wednesday.  The  wind  was  northwest,  and  our 
course  east  and  east  by  north,  with  little  headway.  We 
found  the  latitude  58°  10' ;  the  course  held  was  east  by 
north ;  the  distance  40  miles.  We,  therefore,  supposed  we 
were  between  Rockol  and  St.  Kilda.  Towards  evening  the 
wind  shot  from  the  north  northwest,  so  that  we  could  sail 
east  northeast,  and  afterwards  northeast  by  east ;  but  there 
was  a  rolling  sea,  and,  therefore,  we  could  not  go  ahead 
much  because  it  came  from  the  front.  The  wind,  how- 
ever, improved. 

22rf,  Thursday.  The  wind  was  west  northwest,  and  the 
course  northeast  by  east,  with  the  sea  continuing  to  roll 
against  us  in  front.  We  found  ourselves  at  noon  in  59°  W 
at  which  we  rejoiced,  because  we  had  to  enter  the  North 
sea  between  the  59th  and  60th  degree.  The  distance 
sailed  was  88  miles  upon  several  courses.  At  noon  the 
course  was  set  northeast  by  east  in  order  to  sail  above  the 
island  of  little  Barro.  There  was  a  small  purse  made  up 
by  the  passengers,  each  one  contributing  what  he  pleased,  for 
the  person  who  should  first  discover  land.  "We  gave  two 
shillings  each.  The  minister  would  not  give  any  thing. 
It  seems  that  meanness  is  a  peculiarity  of  this  class  of 
people.  This  was  done,  in  order  that  the  sailors  might 
look  out  more  zealously  for  land,  and  so  we  might  not 
fall  upon  land  unexpectedly.  The  purse  was  nailed  to  the 
mast,  so  that  being  always  in  sight,  it  might  be  a  constant 
incentive,  and  whoever  might  first  see  land  might  take 
it  ofi°.    We  were  becalmed  the  whole  night. 

23c?,  Friday.  It  was  calm,  beautiful  weather.  They 
thought  they  saw  land;  so  the  sailors  said;  and  that  it 
was  Barro ;  but  I  could  observe  nothing.  We  also  had 
greener  water,  and,  therefore,  supposed  we  were  on  sound- 
ings. The  deep  lead  was  thrown,  but  at  200  fathoms  it 
came  short.  The  latitude  was  79°  34'.  The  wind  north- 
east, and  we  sailed  east,  for  we  were  almost  in  the  latitude 


406 


BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  HOME 


of  the  south  point  of  Shetland.  We  saw  several  times, 
quantities  of  spermaeeti  drifting,  a  yellowish  fat,  which 
lies  in  the  water,  all  together,  hut  solid  like  the  green 
scum,  which  floats  in  ditches.  We  also  saw  rockweed 
floating ;  and  a  small  land  bird  came  on  hoard  tlie  ship,  from 
which  wo  concluded  we  were  approaching  land.  The 
wind  was  more  free,  and  after  running  out  and  in,  it  re- 
mained north  northeast.  It  blew  so  hard  that  the  topsails 
had  to  he  reefed  at  first,  and  then  taken  in.  We  sailed 
sometimes  east,  then  east  hy  north  and  east  hy  south,  and 
again  east. 

24/A,  Saturday.  It  blew  very  hard  from  the  north  north- 
east accompanied  hy  rain,  and  we,  therefore,  could  not 
ascertain  the  latitude  but  reckoned  we  were  in  59°  20'.  The 
course  was  held  half  way  between  east  and  south,  which 
brought  us  near  the  before  mentioned  rocks.  It  became 
calm  at  night. 

2i)(/i,  Sunday.  It  continued  calm  until  noon.  We  ob- 
tained the  altitude,  59°  30'.  Our  progress  was  40  miles, 
and  the  course  a  little  more  north  than  east.  At  noon  the 
wind  was  south  and  south  southeast,  with  a  fresh  breeze. 
We  saw  this  morning  a  flock  of  land  birds,  like  finches ; 
also  pigeons  and  small  gulls,  which  keep  themselves  on 
the  shore.  Towards  evening  it  was  very  foggy.  We 
sailed  during  the  night  east  southeast. 

Monday.  It  was  tolerably  good  weather,  but  it 
soon  came  up  thick  and  rainy  with  a  strong  wind.  We 
continued  sailing  east  by  south.  Calculated  the  distance 
56  miles.  We  kept  a  good  look  out,  for  my  reckoning 
upon  the  one  chart  was  out  and  differed  from  the  other 
only  32  miles.  The  Lord  protects  us  from  disaster,  and 
will  guide  us  further,  as  we  fully  trust  in  him. 

21th,  Tuesday.  We  had  not  had  during  the  whole  voyage 
such  hard  weather  as  during  this  night.  The  wind  was 
southeast  and  south  southeast,  with  a  thick  mist  and  rain, 


THE  ORKNEYS.   RIDICULOUS  FRIGHT.  407 


which  at  last  made  us  lie  by,  with  only  the  mizzen  sail,  in 
a  hard  short  sea  which  tossed  and  pitched  us.  We  saw  all 
day  many  land  and  sea  birds  which  caused  us  to  look  out 
carefully  for  land.  The  distance  made  was  84  miles.  At 
evening  the  wind  was  south  southwest,  whereby  we  sailed 
or  drifted  east  by  south  and  south  southeast  until  day. 

28th,  Wednesday.  It  was  better  weather,  and  we  again 
began  to  sail.  The  wind  was  southwest.  The  lower  sails 
were  well  reefed,  but  we  shipped  several  heavy  seas.  The 
sea  rolled  the  whole  day.  It  was  lucky  for  a  sailor  that 
the  Lord  preserved  him  from  being  washed  overboard  by 
an  over-breaking  sea;  it  was  a  narrow  escape,  but  in 
floating  off  he  caught  a  rope  or  something,  to  which  he 
clung  and  was  saved.  We  saw  much  seaweed,  and  whole 
flocks  of  rock  and  land  birds,  and  also  a  species  of  ducks 
and  geese,  besides  another  kind  of  bird.  Fish  lines  were 
made  ready,  but  we  could  catch  nothing.  The  latitude 
was  59°  51',  which  was  a  good  height  and  encouraged  us. 
We  sailed  still  east  southeast  on  a  maintained  east  course. 

29th,  Thursday.  While  we  were  at  prayer  this  morning, 
"Land!  Land!"  was  called  out;  and  although  these 
prayers  were  so  drowsy  and  miserable,  especially  for  us, 
who  were  opposed  to  their  doctrines,  I  had  to  restrain  and 
mortify  myself  by  not  going  up  on  deck,  as  several  did,  and 
almost  all  wished  to  do.  It  was  the  gunner  who  first  dis- 
covered land,  and  took  from  the  mast  the  little  purse  in 
which  he  found  28  shillings  and  6  pence  sterling,  that  is, 
fifteen  guilders  and  fourteen  stuivers,  a  good  day's  wages. 
The  land  we  saw  was  the  Orkney  islands,  28  to  32  miles 
south  southeast  of  us  which  we  sketched  as  well  as  we 
could.  About  two  hours  afterwards  we  saw  very  high 
land  in  front  of  us  to  the  leeward,  which  we  supposed  at 
first  was  Fairhill,  but  we  soon  saw  other  land  in  front  on 
the  starboard,  and  we  now  discovered  that  the  land  to  the 
larboard  was  the  rock  Falo,  and  that  on  the  starboard  was 


408 


BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  HOME. 


Faii-hill.1    I  sat  on  the  main  yard  to  observe  how  the  land 
rose  up,  and  while  there,  saw  a  vessel  or  a  sail,  which  soon 
caused  great  consternation  on  hoard  of  our  ship,  and  still 
more  when  I  said  there  were  two  of  them.    They  were 
afraid  they  were  Turks;  and  so  much  did  this  idea  hlind 
them,  that  eyes,  understanding  and  reason  had  no  office  to 
perform.    These  small  vessels  were  certainly  large  ships 
and  Turks.    Every  thing  was  put  out  of  the  way ;  many 
did  not  know  what  they  were  doing  from  fear,  which  in- 
creased greatly,  when  they  saw  one  of  the  vessels  coming 
towards  us  before  the  wind.    It  was  all  hurly-burly  and 
every  one  was  ordered  immediately  to  quarters.    I  was 
very  busy,  our  place  being  on  the  quarter-deck  where 
there  were  four  guns,  which  I  pushed  into  the  port  holes. 
These  were  loaded  and  we  were  soon  ready  for  fight.  In 
the  meanwhile,  the  vessel  coming  nearer,  the  minister, 
who  should  have  encouraged  the  others,  ran  below  into 
the  powder  room,  all  trembling  and  shaking.    He  inquired 
if  that  was  far  enough  below  water,  and  if  he  could  be 
shot  there.    Another  person  from  the  East  Indies  was 
with  him.    The  surgeon  had  all  things  ready  for  the  battle, 
but  unfortunately  I  looked  out  and  saw  it  was  a  Dutch 
smack  with  a  small  topsail,  flying  the  Prince's  flag.  But 
they  silenced  me ;  Turk  it  was,  and  Turk  it  should  re- 
main, and  I  must  go  back  to  my  quarters.    At  last  she 
came  along  side,  and  they  hailed  her,  but  could  not  under- 
stand what  was  replied.    I  was  then  called  upon  to  speak 
to  them,  and  I  went  on  the  stern  and  saw  it  was  as  I  had 
said.    I  inquired  where  they  were  from,  and  what  they 
were   doing  there.     They  answered,  they  were  from 
Amsterdam;  were  cruising  in  search  of  two  East  Indiamen 
which  the  chamber  of  Amsterdam  had  missed,  and  they 


•A  small  island  between  the  Orkneys  and  the  Shetland  islands.  Several 
shore  line  views  of  it  accompany  the  journal. 


ENTERING  THE  NORTH  SEA. 


409 


wanted  to  know  whether  we  had  seen  an}'  thing  of  them. 
We  informed  them  we  had  seen  no  ships  since  we  were 
on  the  banks  of  Newfoundland,  and  we  were  from  New 
England,  bound  to  London.  We  asked  if  there  were  any 
danger  from  the  Turks.  None  at  all,  they  said,  which 
gave  courage  to  our  captain  and  others,  as  well  as  the 
minister,  who  had  emerged  from  the  powder  room,  where 
he  had  hidden  himself.  We  also  inquired  how  affairs 
stood  with  England,  Holland  and  France.  They  answered 
well,  as  far  as  they  knew.  Having  obtained  this  informa- 
tion, I  told  our  captain  such  good  news  was  worth  a  salute, 
and  he  fired  a  six-pounder  shotted.  The  Dutch  captain 
asked  for  a  little  tobacco  in  exchange  for  pickled  herrings ; 
but  many  excuses  were  offered,  and  he  got  none.  He  said 
the  other  vessel  was  a  Hollander  from  Iceland,  and  we 
had  nothing  to  fear ;  that  almost  all  the  ships  which  we 
might  see  in  the  North  sea  were  ships  from  Holland ;  a 
remark  which  annoyed  our  captain  and  the  others  very 
much ;  and  not  being  able  to  stand  it,  they  tacked  about 
ship  and  wore  off,  leaving  the  cruiser  and  passing  outside, 
or  between  Fairhill  and  the  Orkneys. 

30th,  Friday.  We  had  lain  over  again  at  midnight, 
with  a  south  southwest  wind.  At  daybreak  it  was  entirely 
calm.  I  was  called  out  of  my  berth  to  go  to  the  captain,  in 
order  to  discriminate  the  land,  distinguishing  Fairhill  and 
the  Orkneys.  He  exhibited  great  ignorance  and  fear,  for 
we  had  seen  the  land  well  the  day  before,  and  the  cruiser 
had  fully  informed  us ;  he  knew  well  enough  how  we  had 
sailed  during  the  night,  and  with  what  progress,  and  that 
we  all  agreed  with  the  foregoing  height  of  the  pole.  We 
took  several  crayon  sketches  of  Fairhill  and  the  other 
lands,  the  more  because  they  are  not  shown  from  that 
side  in  the  Zcesjncgel  of  Lichtende  Colom.1    We  found  the 


1  The  Sea  Mirror  or  Lightning  Column,  a  book  of  sea  charts  published  by 
52 


410 


BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  ITOME. 


latitude  to-day  to  ho  59°  40'.  Many  birds  came  round  the 
ship,  and  some  sparrow  hawks  and  small  blue  hawks, 
which  we  caught  with  our  hands.  We  stretched  over 
again  to  the  Orkneys,  in  order  to  be  clear  of  FairhiU  ;  the 
wind  being  southeast  and  southeast  by  east,  we  had  foggy 
and  misty  weather. 

31st,  Saturday.  We  saw  the  Orkneys  this  morn- 
ing, although  we  had  shifted  eight  miles  during  the 
night.  We  stretched  away  from  them  again  and  dis- 
covered a  strong  current,  which  the  nearer  Scotland  and 
the  Orkneys  it  was  the  stronger  it  was.  It  runs  mostly 
east  and  east  southeast,  and  west  and  west  northwest. 
The  latitude  obtained  was  59°  26'.  At  evening  we 
found  ourselves  about  28  or  32  miles  from  Fairhill 
north  northeast.  This  is  a  beautiful  round  hill,  as  its 
name  in  p]nglish  denotes.  We  held  our  course  with 
several  tacks,  over  and  back,  to  reach  the  North  sea.  We 
saw  several  ships  but  could  not  get  near  enough  to 
speak  to  them. 

September  1st,  Sunday.  The  weather  was  misty;  the 
wind  as  before,  calm.  Could  not  obtain  the  latitude,  but 
we  reckoned  we  had  sailed  about  forty  miles,  east  by 
south.    We  saw  some  herring-busses. 

2d,  Monday.  The  wind  continued  southeast  and  south 
southeast.  The  weather  was  good  but  calm  and  misty. 
We  calculated  the  latitude  58°  40'.  We  kept  beating 
from  and  to  the  shore. 

3d,  Tuesday.  It  was  still  drizzling  and  calm.  We  saw 
several  vessels  in  which  we  would  gladly  have  been,  in 
order  to  see  if  there  were  no  opportunity  of  going  in  them 
to  Holland,  whither  they  seemed  to  be  sailing,  or  at  least  to 
obtain  some  refreshment  of  fish  or  something  else;  but 


Peter  Goos,  of  Amsterdam,  both  in  Dutch  and  English.  The  edition  before 
us  is  the  English  one,  with  the  date  of  1668. 


JUTLAND  REEF.    THE  DOGGERBANK.  4H 


the  captain  would  not  consent.  At  noon  we  turned 
towards  the  shore  and  sailed  mostly  south. 

4th,  Wednesday.  The  wind  southeast  and  south  southeast, 
with  dead  water  as  if  we  were  sailing  in  a  river.  "We  had 
been  near  the  shore  all  night,  on  various  courses,  of  one,  two 
and  three  points  difference.  We  took  a  good  observation, 
namely,  58°  8';  the  distance  sailed  was  sixty  miles,  the 
course  held  south  southwest.  At  noon  the  water  was 
greener,  and  we,  therefore,  supposed  we  were  in  deeper 
water.  We  saw  this  morning  the  four  ockcrs  [Dutch  fishing 
boats],  before  mentioned  behind  us,  but  we  were  soon  after- 
wards out  of  sight  of  them. 

5th,  Thursday.  Our  course  was  east  by  north  and  east 
northeast,  now  a  little  in,  and  then  again  out.  The  wind 
was  mostly  south  southwest.  We  found  the  latitude  58° 
34',  so  much  were  we  set  north.  We  had  not  gone  ahead  far, 
as  there  was  not  much  wind,  and  the  sea  rolled  directly 
against  us.  We  reckoned  the  distance  to  be  at  night 
forty  miles.  But  it  was  entirety  calm,  and  the  wind 
subsided  with  mist  and  rain.  We  drifted  thus  all  night. 
The  deep  lead  was  thrown  at  midnight,  and  eighty  fathoms 
of  water  were  found.  We  endeavored  to  catch  some  fish, 
but  did  not  succeed.  We  caught  several  sparrow  hawks 
and  small  blue  hawks. 

6th,  Friday.  We  had  made  little  progress.  The  wind 
was  northwest.  There  was  a  thick  mist  with  drizzling 
rain.  Our  course  until  noon  was  east  southeast;  the 
latitude  was  79° ;  the  distance  104  miles.  We  spoke  an 
ocker,  and  inquired  where  we  were.  He  said  he  was  lying 
on  the  reef  to  fish,  about  136  miles,  he  supposed,  from  New 
Castle,  in  Scotland,  southwest  of  him,  which  agreed  well 
with  our  calculation.  Had  50  fathoms  of  water.  This 
reef  shoots  out  from  the  coast  of  Jutland  and  runs  into  the 
middle  of  the  North  sea,  northwardly  around  the  Shetland 
islands,  and- from  thence  almost  to  Rockol,  but  it  lies  nearer 


412 


BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  HOME. 


the  Scottish  coast  than  the  coast  of  Norway,  and  a  little  more 
so  than  is  represented  on  the  chart.  We  caught  many  birds 
and  also  swallows. 

1th,  Saturday.  It  had  been  very  calm  through  the  night ; 
but  the  wind  shifted  to  the  south,  and  we,  therefore,  had 
to  change  our  course  continually;  at  last  it  was  south 
southeast,  and  we  could  not  sail  higher  than  west  by  north. 
We  found  the  latitude  56°  24',  but  could  not  judge  well 
because  the  sun  was  obscured.  The  reckoning  was  55° 
55' ;  the  course  was  south  by  west;  the  distance  56  miles. 
We  here  came  into  a  whole  school  of  tunnies  which 
afforded  us  great  amusement.  We  also  saw  several  ships 
ahead  of  us,  and  heard  much  firing  of  guns. 

Hth,  Sunday.  Calm  and  rainy  weather.  We  had  made 
this  whole  night  and  from  noon  yesterday,  not  more  than 
28  or  32  miles  progress.  The  course  was  south  southeast 
sailing  over  against  the  wind,  in  order  to  come  upon  the 
Doggerbank.  Saw  several  vessels,  one  of  which  ran  before 
us,  over  to  New  Castle.  Reckoned  at  noon  to-day  we 
were  40  miles  from  the  Doggerbank. 

9//i,  Monday.  In  the  morning  watch,  threw  the  deep  lead 
in  25  fathoms,  sandy  bottom,  green,  white  and  red.  About 
ten  o'clock  we  had  20  fathoms  with  the  same  ground.  The 
atmosphere  was  thick  and  hazy.  The  latitude  we  supposed 
was  55°  19'.  We  were  now  certainly  on  the  Doggerbank. 
We  caught  many  young  spier  hayties,  which  the  English 
call  dogs,  and  because  large  numbers  of  these  fish  always 
keep  there,  the  bank,  which  is  very  large  and  almost  makes 
the  figure  of  a  fishing  boat,  is  called  the  Doggerbank.  At 
four  o'clock  we  had  18  fathoms,  and  in  the  evening  17. 
The  course  still  south  southeast,  and  the  wind  northeast, 
breezy  and  calm,  intermingled.  In  the  night  the  deep 
lead  was  thrown  several  times,  and  we  found  19,  18,  15 
and  14  fathoms  of  water. 

10^/*,  Tuesday.  The  wind  blew  from  most  all  points;  at 


EASTERN  COAST  OF  ENGLAND. 


413 


ten  o'clock  it  was  northeast  and  east  northeast,  with  12,  11, 
10,  9J  fathoms  of  water.  The  latitude  was  54°  44'.  We 
saw  several  large  ships  and  heard  heavy  firing  of  guns 
which  made  our  captain  and  others,  very  serious,  for  we 
heard  40  or  50  shots.  Seeing  a  ship  behind  us,  we  let  the 
sails  run  and  waited  for  her.  On  her  approaching  us,  we 
found  she  was  a  Dutch  flute ;  and  when  we  spoke  her, 
they  said  they  were  from  Muscovy,  bound  for  Amster- 
dam. We  wished  with  our  whole  hearts  we  were  on  board 
of  her  with  our  goods,  for  we  would  then  sooner  have  been 
home.  There  was  a  rolling  sea,  so  that  there  was  no 
prospect  of  being  put  aboard  of  her ;  besides,  the  captain 
would  not  have  been  willing.  They  could  not  tell  us 
much  news.  We  asked  where  they  reckoned  they  were, 
and  they  said  not  far  from  where  we  knew,  that  they  were 
on  the  Doggerbank.  In  the  evening  we  found  the  water 
deeper  than  20  fathoms,  and  afterwards  25,  at  midnight 
30,  and  in  the  day  watch  45,  with  a  bottom  of  fine  sand. 

11th,  Wednesday.  In  the  forenoon,  found  the  water  more 
shallow,  25,  23  and  20  fathoms,  and  we,  therefore,  believed 
we  had  passed  from  the  Doggerbank  to  the  Welle,  another 
bank  so  called.  We  obtained  a  good  observation,  and  the 
latitude  was  54°  net,  the  ship's  altitude  5'  being  deducted, 
left  43°  55',  which  agreed  very  well  with  our  chart,  with 
the  depth,  and  our  reckoning.  The  distance  was  put  at 
40  miles:  We  saw  many  ships  around  us,  but  could  speak 
none.  It  continued  calm  until  evening,  when  we  found 
20  and  afterwards  17  fathom  water,  over  a  coarse  red  and 
white  sandy  bottom,  mixed  with  small  stones.  The  course 
was  south  southeast. 

12th,  Thursday.  The  latitude  53°  45',  that  is  the  height 
of  our  eyes  above  the  water  being  deducted ;  the  distance 
24  miles;  the  course  south  southeast,  a  little  southerly. 
We  reckoned  we  were  at  the  middle  of  the  Welle  bank. 
We  longed  for  a  good  wind,  and  we  were  only  sixty  miles 


414 


BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  HOME. 


from  Yarmouth  and  100  or  104  from  Harwich.  We  fished 
a  little,  but  ouly  caught  two  or  three  small  codfish,  and 
hauled  up  with  the  hook  a  great  quantity  of  stone  and  sea 
weed.  In  the  first  watch  the  wind  was  north  and  north- 
east, with  slack  water  in  15,  14,  17,  19  and  20  fathoms. 
The  captain,  therefore,  sailed  southeast  and  southeast  by 
south,  through  fear  of  the  Lcmenoirs  and  other  Yarmouth 
shoals. 

VUh,  Friday.  It  blew  a  stiff  topsail  breeze.  We  had  17 
and  18  fathoms  of  water,  which  looked  quite  white,  and 
made  me  think  we  were  near  the  White  water,  another 
bank  so  named,  on  which  there  is  17  and  16  fathoms. 
We  sailed  south  southwest.  We  waited  for  a  herring-bus 
coming  towards  us,  and  spoke  to  her.  She  was  from 
Rotterdam,  had  been  to  sea  a  long  time,  and  had  seen  no 
land.  They  told  us  they  were  between  Wells  and  the 
AVhite  water,  nearer  the  latter,  and  that  South  Foreland 
was  south  southwest  of  us.  They  could  tell  us  nothing 
more.  We  wished  we  were  in  the  bus,  for  then  we 
might  have  been  in  the  Maes  that  evening,  as  she  had  a 
good  wind.  The  latitude  was  52°  50'.  We  sailed  south- 
west in  23  fathoms  of  water,  with  a  bottom  of  fine  sand  a 
little  reddish  and  mixed  with  black.  In  sailing  towards 
the  shore  we  had  18  fathoms ;  when  about  three,  or  half 
past  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  they  cried  out,  land ! 
and  proceeding  further  on,  we  saw  the  grove  near  Yar- 
mouth, and  shortly  afterwards  Yarmouth  steeple,  south- 
west by  west  and  west  southwest  from  us.  We  sailed 
more  southerly  and  discovered  the  whole  coast.  We  came 
to  anchor  about  seven  o'clock  in  16  fathoms. 

1-ith,  Saturday.  It  had  been  good  weather  through  the 
night,  and  we  had  rested  well.  We  saw  when  the  sun 
rose,  which  shone  against  the  coast  and  was  entirely  clear, 
how  the  coast  ran.  The  land  is  not  so  high  as  it  is  west 
of  the  Thames  to  Land's  End.    There  are  many  villages. 


ARRIVAL  IN  THE  THAMES.   LONDON.  415 


Yarmouth,  looked  like  a  pleasant  little  place,  as  it  lay 
north  northwest  of  us.  We  saw  many  ships  sailing  one 
way  and  the  other.  Having  waited  for  the  ehb  to  run  out 
we  got  under  sail  about  eight  o'clock.  "We  sailed  by 
Sowls,1  and  came  to  anchor  again  about  three  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon.  The  passengers  had  every  thing  ready  to 
go  ashore,  and  so  over  land  to  London.  There  was  a  sig- 
nal made  with  the  flag  from  our  ship,  and  a  shot  fired  for 
a  pilot  or  some  one  else  to  come  on  board.  Towards 
evening  a  small  boat  came  with  five  men,  but  no  pilot. 
The  flood  making  about  nine  or  ten  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing, and  running  along  the  whole  Scottish  and  English 
coast,  from  the  Orkneys  to  the  Thames,  we  sailed  on 
again  until  we  came  to  another  village  where  our  passen- 
gers went  ashore.  It  was  about  midnight.  The  weather 
was  fine  and  the  moon  shone  bright ;  we  fired  five  or  six 
guns.  The  minister  was  sad  and  complained  that  it  was 
Sunday,  or  Saturday  evening,  and  he  dared  not  go  ashore, 
lest  he  should  break  the  Sabbath;  but  finally  he  let  his 
wishes  override  his  scruples,  and  went  off  with  the  passen- 
gers. "We  obtained  a  pilot  and  some  refreshments,  and 
then  sailed  on  till  we  came  before  Dunwich,2  the  oldest 
place  in  England,  and  once  the  mightiest  in  commerce. 
We  came  again  to  anchor  in  order  to  wait  for  the  tide. 
The  wind  continued  west  southwest. 

15th,  Sunday.  The  wind  mostly  as  before.  We  were 
under  sail  about  ten  o'clock,  with  the  flood  tide,  and 


1  Southwold,  a  small  seaport  town  on  the  east  coast  of  England,  94  miles 
northwest  of  London.  Southwold  or  Sole  bay  was  the  scene  of  the  great 
naval  battle  between  the  Dutch,  under  De  Ruyter,  and  the  English  and 
French,  under  the  Duke  of  York  and  Marshal  d'Estrees,  in  May,  1672. 

2  This  town  appears  in  old  times  to  have  been  a  great  place  of  commerce 
in  herring.  In  the  year  1195,  it  was  obliged  to  deliver  24,000  herrings  to 
the  king.  Its  importance  has  been  entirely  destroyed  by  incroachments 
of  the  sea  upon  its  harbor.—  McCulloch. 


41G 


BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  ITOME. 


tacked  along  the  land  in  seven  fathoms  of  water  to  the 
point  of  Aldborough,  to  reach  which  we  made  five  or 
six  short  tacks.  Running  close  to  the  shore,  we  came 
among  a  fleet  of,  I  think,  full  200  coal  ships,  all  beating 
up  the  river,  which  made  it  difficult  to  avoid  each  other. 
We  passed  through  the  King's  channel.  I  have  never 
seen  so  many  sunken  ships  as  there  were  in  the  mouth  of 
the  Thames,  full  eight  or  ten  in  different  places,  from 
various  causes.  The  tide  being  spent  we  came  to  anchor 
before  a  village  called  St.  Peter. 

16th,  Monday.  The  wind  being  mostly  north,  the 
weather  was  cold  and  piercing.  The  whole  fleet  was 
under  sail,  with  the  flood  tide,  and  we  along  with  them. 
They  had  talked  loudly  in  Boston  of  the  sailing  qualities 
of  our  ship,  but  almost  the  whole  coal  fleet  sailed  ahead  of 
us. 

18th,  Wednesday.  The  wind  remained  still,  with  mist. 
"We  saw  it  would  be  some  days  yet  before  the  ship  would 
reach  the  city,  and,  therefore,  determined  to  go  up  in  a 
wherry,  that  is,  a  row-boat,  from  Gravesend.  As  soon  as 
one  came  alongside  we  went  aboard,  and  passed  by  Graves- 
end,  and  other  villages.  It  was  nine  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing when  we  landed  at  St.  Catharines,  and  went  to  a 
tavern  called  the  Dutch  Smack,  but  they  would  not  re- 
ceive us.  We  then  went  to  the  Inlander,  the  landlord  of 
which  was  a  Fleming,  and  a  papist,  but  not  the  worst  one. 
We  paid  for  the  boat  three  English  shillings  in  all.  We 
three,  namely,  Vorsman,  Jan  Ovins,  the  surgeon  of  our 
ship,  a  Rotterdammer,  and  myself,  supped  together ;  this 
was  the  first  time  we  had  slept  in  a  bed  in  a  long  time. 

19th,  Thursday.  We  went  through  the  city,  the  newly 
built  portion,  as  well  as  the  other,  but  we  found  it  very 
different  from  what  we  had  imagined.  We  went  to  the 
Exchange  and  conversed  with  our  captain  and  the 
other  passengers.    We  endeavored  to  find  the  first  vessel 


ST.  JAMES'S  PARK.    KING  CHARLES  II. 


417 


going  to  Holland.  They  told  us  there  were  two  smacks 
or  galiots  lying  ready,  and  would  leave  on  Monday,  for 
which  we  prepared  ourselves. 

20(h,  Friday.  We  went  to  Whitehall,  where  the  king 
resides,  and  where  we  supposed  we  would  see  something 
special  in  the  buildings,  hut  in  this  we  were  mistaken. 
There  are  better  places  in  London ;  the  best  house  there 
was  the  banqueting  house,  which  does  not  surpass  some 
merchants'  houses  in  Amsterdam.  "We  strolled  into  St. 
James's  Park,  which  is  nothing  but  a  large  inclosed 
meadow,  with  some  canals  and  ditches  dug  through  it,  in 
one  portion  of  which  are  ducks  swimming,  and  willow 
trees  planted.  The  guard  on  horseback  coming  ahead,  we 
heard  the  king  was  in  the  park.  We  went  in,  but  did  not 
see  him ;  but  walking  through  we  saw  his  curiosities  of 
birds  which  he  kept  there  in  cages  slightly  enough  closed, 
such  as  eagles,  cranes,  a  very  large  owl,  a  toucan,  birds 
which  we  call  hoontjen,  in  Friesland,  virviteaus,  doves, 
starlings,  and  others  of  little  importance.  He  had  received 
from  the  Indies,  by  the  last  ships,  two  ostriches  or  casso- 
waries which  were  shut  up  and  much  prized,  though  they 
are  very  common  in  Holland.  We  came  to  his  horse 
stable  ;  there  was  only  one  horse  in  it,  that  was  so  lean  it 
shamed  every  one,  as  also  did  the  small  size  of  the  stable, 
which  stood  near  that  of  the  Duke  of  Monmouth,  where 
there  were  six  tolerable  good  Frisic  horses,  with  a  saddle 
horse  or  two.  Our  stables  look  more  kingly  than  these. 
We  were  about  leaving  the  place  when  we  heard  them  cry 
out,  "  to  arms !  to  arms  !  "  to  a  troop  of  soldiers  standing- 
there,  and  looking  around,  we  saw  at  a  distance  the  king 
coming,  accompanied  by  six  or  eight  noblemen,  from 
whom  you  could  distinguish  him  only  from  his  having  his 
hat  on  his  head,  while  they  had  theirs  off.  He  saluted  all 
who  saluted  him,  as  he  passed  along,  which  he  also  did  us. 
I  will  not  speak  of  his  person  as  he  has  been  sufficiently 
53 


418  BOSTON,  AND  TIIE  VOYAGE  IIOME. 


described  by  pen  and  burin}  Nor  will  I  speak  of  tbe  con- 
dition of  London.  Tbe  long  and  sbort  of  it  is,  that  city  is 
larger  than  Amsterdam,  but  does  approach  it,  or  any  other 
city  in  Holland,  either  in  neatness  or  in  the  regularity  of  the 
buildings,  even  those  erected  since  the  great  fire.  What 
are  worthy  of  mention  is  a  certain  column,  very  high  and 
well  constructed,  erected  on  the  spot  where  the  great  fire 
broke  out  in  1666,  and  the  tower,  not  prettily  built,  but 
very  old,  constructed  by  the  Romans  in  the  time  of  Julius 
Cresar.  "Whitehall  and  Westminster,  and  all  within  them, 
are  not  worth  going  to  see. 

31s/,  Scdurday.  Our  ship  having  arrived  before  the  city 
yesterday,  we  went  on  board  to  bring  away  our  goods,  as 
also  did  the  surgeon.  We  took  leave  of  the  captain,  mate 
and  carpenter,  who  was  a  young  man  and  a  Norman, 
stupid,  but  not  the  most  evilly  disposed.  He  had  our  love, 
and  I  had  occasionally  conversed  with  him  when  we  were 
on  the  watch  together  at  night,  and  sometimes  made  an 
impression  upon  him.  lie  lived  at  Flushing,  and  wished, 
he  said,  he  could  go  and  live  with  me  even  for  nothing. 
He  desired  me  not  to  forget  him.  I  must  also  say  this  of 
the  captain,  that  he  was  well  known  in  London,  and  in  all 
Boston,  as  a  pious,  good  and  discreet  man;  but  I  was  as- 
tonished when  I  saw  and  heard  the  following  circumstance. 
A  poor  servant,  who  had  served  his  time  out  in  New  Eng- 
land, came  to  him  in  Boston  and  asked  if  he  could  go  over 
with  him;  he  would  do  his  best  in  working  like  any 
other  sailor  for  his  passage,  as  he  well  understood  ship- 
work.  The  captain  told  him  he  might  go  with  him. 
When  we  were  at  sea,  this  person  was  sick  several  days, 
and  when  he  recovered  did  as  well  as  he  could,  but,  it  is 
true,  he  did  not  do  all  that  an  experienced  sailor  could  have 
done.    When  we  arrived  in  the  North  sea  the  captain  made 


1  Charles  II. 


BOSTON  WITCHCRAFT.   DUKE  OF  YORK.  419 


a  memorandum  by  which  this  poor  fellow  promised  to  pay- 
half  the  passage  money,  that  is,  thirty  guilders,  when  he 
arrived  in  London.  He  called  him,  and  read  it  to  him, 
and  told  him,  because  he  could  not  work  like  a  good 
sailor,  he  must  sign  that  writing,  and  if  he  did  not  do  so, 
he  would  sell  him  again  when  he  reached  London,  which 
he  assured  him  would  be  done.  The  man  began  to  com- 
plain and  cry,  saying  he  had  not  so  promised,  but  he 
would  work  like  any  other,  and  do  as  well  as  he  could. 
But,  notwithstanding  his  crying  and  objecting,  he  had  to 
sign  the  paper,  or  be  sold.  In  this,  appeared  the  piety  and 
sense  of  justice  of  our  captain,  though  perhaps  the  other 
was  not  entirely  without  blame,  though  he  had  had  blows 
enough.  It  seems  he  had  some  friends  in  London  who 
paid  the  amount. 

I  must  here  mention  another  word  about  Boston,  which 
is,  that  I  have  never  been  in  a  place  where  more  was  said* 
about  witchcraft  and  witches.  From  time  to  time  persons 
had  been  put  in  prison,  and  executed  ;  and  a  woman  was 
in  prison  and  condemned  to  die,  when  we  left  there.1 
Very  strange  things  were  told  of  her,  but  I  will  not  repeat 
them  here. 

22d,  Sunday.  I  went  into  the  Dutch  church  where  a 
young  man,  who  was  a  Cocceian,  preached.  In  the  after- 
noon we  went  to  the  French  church,  and  in  going  there, 
passed  by  a  large  gate,  through  which  many  people  were 
entering  into  a  great  hall.  "We  looked  in,  and  when  we 
saw  they  were  quakers,  walked  quickly  away,  and  went 


1  On  the  20th  May,  1680,  Elizabeth  Morse,  the  wife  of  William  Morse,  of 
Newbury,  was  indicted  and  tried  in  Boston,  for  practicing  with  craft  upon 
her  own  husband.  She  was  convicted  and  sentenced  to  be  hung ;  and 
was  in  prison  at  Boston,  at  the  time  our  journalist  was  there,  awaiting 
her  execution.  It  is,  undoubtedly,  her  case  to  which  he  refers.  She  was, 
however,  reprieved  from  time  to  time,  and  finally  released  altogether. — 
Coffin's  Newbury,  122, 126, 134. 


120 


BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  HOME. 


into  the  French  church,  whose  congregation  in  much 
linger,  and  its  church  much  smaller  than  the  Dutch 
church  —  so  small  indeed,  they  could  not  all  get  in. 
When,  therefore,  the  Lord's  Supper  was  administered, 
they  used  the  Dutch  church,  and  the  Dutch  preached  then 
in  the  French  church,  as  they  are  not  far  apart.  But  as 
the  French  church  was  especially  for  the  French,  we  went 
out,  my  comrade  for  the  purpose  of  inquiring  after  Mr. 
Ovins,  and  I,  to  go  to  the  Dutch  church  again,  where 
another  Cocceian  preached  well  enough.  I  saw  there  the 
envoy  from  Holland,  a  Zeelander,  whom  I  knew  with  his 
family ;  but  he  did  not  know  me. 

23d,  Monday.  It  was  said  we  were  to  leave  to-day,  but 
we  saw  it  would  not  be  the  case.  The  captain,  with  whom 
we  were  to  go,  was  one  Douwe  Hobbes  of  Makkum,  who 
brings  birds  over  from  Friesland,  every  year  for  the  king. 
There  was  a  boat  lying  there  ready  to  leave  for  Rotterdam, 
but  it  seems  they  intended  to  go  in  company. 

24/A,  Tuesday.  No  departure  to-day  either.  "While  we 
were  at  the  Exchange,  there  was  a  great  crowd  of  people 
in  the  street.  We  saw  and  heard  two  trumpeters,  followed 
by  a  company  of  cavalry,  dressed  in  red,  then  a  chariot 
drawn  by  six  horses,  in  which  was  the  Duke  of  York. 
Then  came  some  chariots  of  the  nobility,  and  the  Prince 
Palatine,  with  several  chariots,  and  two  trumpeters  in  the 
rear. 

2bth,  Wednesday.  Could  not  sail  yet,  but  the  Rotter- 
dammer  sailed  with  thirty  passengers,  with  little  or  no 
freight.  In  going  down  she  broke  the  bowsprit  of  our 
ship."  Mr.  Ovins  left  us  in  her,  after  we  had  taken  leave 
of  him. 

26th,  Thursday.  Heard  early  this  morning  our  ship  was 
going  down  the  river,  for  she  lay  opposite  our  room ;  we 
immediately  hurried  ourselves.  It  was  very  uncivil  in  the 
mate,  for  the  captain  was  still  in  the  city,  and  would  go  to 


GRAYESEND.  HARWICH. 


421 


Gravesend.  We  took  a  wherry  and  went  after  her,  as  she 
had  not  gone  far  in  consequence  of  the  mist  and  lightness 
of  the  wind.  We  drifted  to-day  scarcely  outside  of  the 
ships. 

27th,  Friday.  It  was  misty  and  calm.  We,  therefore,  did 
not  go  as  far  as  the  current  would  have  carried  us.  We 
had  to  come  to  anchor,  in  consequence  of  the  mist,  in 
order  not  to  drift  against  the  ships,  or  upon  the  shoal. 

28th,  Saturday.  We  drifted  and  clawed  along  until  we 
came  to  anchor,  hefore  Gravesend,  as  the  Rotterdammer 
did  an  hour  or  two  afterwards.  Ovins,  who  was  not  very 
well  accommodated,  called  out  to  us  as  we  passed,  and 
asked  if  we  would  not  go  ashore  with  him.  We  declined, 
for  we  could  not  have  wished  to  have  been  better  accom- 
modated, as  we  two  had  a  large,  fine  cabin  to  ourselves. 

29th,  Sunday.  When  we  took  our  goods  out  of  the  ship 
at  London,  we  let  our  trunks  be  examined,  but  there  was 
nothing  inspected.  We  gave  the  inspectors  a  penny  and 
they  were  satisfied.  Our  skipper  arrived  now  at  Graves- 
end in  the  night,  and  had  every  thing  made  ready  for  the 
inspectors.  We  had  ourselves  ready  for  their  arrival. 
They  came  on  board  about  eight  o'clock,  but  they  looked 
once  only  in  the  hatches  without  asking  any  thing,  and 
went  away  again.  We  went  ashore  in  the  forenoon  and 
dined  there.  We  had  been  to  London,  and  the  captain 
said  we  should  eat  the  ship's  ordinary  fare,  which  seemed 
now  to  us,  princely  fare.  However,  as  he  was  most  of  the 
time  drunk  when  on  shore,  he  had  given  it  no  considera- 
tion. We  went  through  Gravesend  to  look  at  it,  but  it 
does  not  signify  much  —  it  is  more  foul  and  dirty,  in  name, 
than  in  fact.  We  also  went  out  into  the  country  a  little, 
which  pleased  us  best.  I  have  never  seen  anywhere,  so 
many  blackberries,  which  were  now  ripe.  The  ebb  tide 
having  come,  we  got  under  sail  yet  before  evening,  the 
wind  being  good,  but  it  did  not  continue  so  long.  Oppo- 


422 


BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  HOME. 


site  Gravesend,  there  is  a  strong  castle  well  fortified,  and 
another  one  of  less  importance,  on  the  lower  side.  When- 
ever ships  pass  up  or  down  ;  they  must  strike  here  in  going 
between  the  two  fortifications.  We  arrived  at  evening 
before  the  river  of  Chatham,  where  we  anchored. 

$0th,  Monday.  The  wind  was  easterly  and  light.  We 
scratched  along  as  far  as  to  get  in  the  King's  channel,  as 
also  did  the  Rotterdammer,  which  sailed  down  with  us. 

October  1st,  Tuesday.  The  wind  as  before;  we,  there- 
fore, tacked  with  the  tide,  before  the  Naze,  intending  to 
run  into  Harwich,  both  for  the  purpose  of  waiting  for  a 
good  wind,  and  to  buy  a  store  of  provision  which  the  skip- 
per, through  his  drunkenness  had  forgotten.  The  Rotter- 
dammer, which  had  not  kept  along  the  shore  with  us, 
but  had  continued  through  the  King's  channel,  finding  no 
good  harbor  there,  returned  again  to  Chatham,  in  order, 
as  the  wind  continued  south  southeast,  to  go  out  along 
the  south  shore,  and  thus  we  separated. 

2d,  Wednesday.  The  wind  still  easterly,  we,  therefore, 
made  several  tacks,  and  ran  into  Harwich;  a  miserably 
poor  little  fort  stands  on  the  east  point  of  the  bay,  yet 
you  must  strike  your  flag  as  you  sail  by  it.  The  bay  is 
large  and  suitable  to  harbor  a  great  number  of  ships. 
The  town  is  on  the  west  side,  passing  which,  a  small  river 
runs  up  into  the  land.  We  anchored  about  ten  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  We  went  ashore  and  dined,  and  I  then,  in 
company  with  some  others,  walked  out  of  town ;  but  my 
comrade  returned,  having  concluded  to  cross  over  in  the 
packet  boat,  and  went  to  inquire  about  it.  When  I  re- 
turned he  told  me  it  would  leave  that  evening,  and  would 
save  much  time.  He  spoke  to  our  skipper,  who  was  not 
willing  to  release  us,  without  paying  him  the  whole  pas- 
sage money,  namely,  two  ducatoons  a  piece.  Many  words 
passed  and  hard  enough  they  were  on  both  sides,  in  which 
the  skipper  was  veiy  impertinent,  yet  not  altogether  in 


CROSSING  THE  CHANNEL. 


423 


the  wrong.  We  went  aboard,  and  his  passion  having 
subsided,  we  satisfied  him  with  two  ducats,  and  took  our 
goods  to  the  packet  boat.  We  went  ashore  to  enter  our 
names,  according  to  the  custom ;  my  comrade  giving  his 
acknowledged  name,  I  was  compelled  to  do  the  same.  We  paid 
twelve  shillings  and  six-pence  each.  We  went  into 
another  room  to  take  fresh  leave  of  our  captain  and  mate, 
when  there  came  a  scoundrel  to  take  down  our  names, 
and  examine  our  goods  as  he  said,  and  we  were  compelled 
to  give  the  same  names  again,  in  order  they  might  agree 
with  those  given  before ;  but  he  was  a  swindler  and  ob- 
tained from  each  of  us  another  shilling,  for  he  did  not  go 
on  board  to  examine,  although  he  could  perhaps  do  so; 
we  went  quickly  on  board  to  look  after  our  property.  It 
was  about  nine  o'clock  at  night  when  we  started ;  but  as 
it  was  so  calm  we  came  outside  without  casting  anchor, 
having  a  full  moon  and  delightful  weather.  A  sand  reef 
stretches  out  into  the  sea  from  the  before  mentioned  little 
fort,  inside  of  which  the  water  is  the  deepest,  being  three 
and  four  fathoms  at  low  water.  It  is  shallowest  in  tbe 
middle,  and  level  towards  the  west  shore,  having  two 
fathoms  of  water  or  less.  There  are  two  lights  in  the 
town,  which  you  bring  in  range,  in  order  to  sail  in  or  out. 
The  highest  light  stands  most  inside,  and  when  that  comes 
west  of  the  lowest  you  are  west  of  the  gate  or  channel ; 
and  when  it  is  east,  you  are  east  of  the  channel,  and  are 
on,  or  east  of  the  reef. 

3d,  Thursday.  The  wind  east  southeast,  and  we,  there- 
fore, sailed  along  the  shore  past  Orfordness  into  the  sea. 
The  course  thence  to  the  Maes,  is  east  by  south,  but  we 
sailed  for  the  most  part  east,  and  sometimes  east  by  north. 
I  thought  our  Friesland  smack  was  at  sea  before  evening, 
for  the  wind  was  better  for  her  than  for  us,  as  the  course 
from  Orfordness  to  the  Texel,  is  east  northeast,  which  was 
a  due  side  wind.    It  was  also  better  for  the  Rotterdammer. 


424 


BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  HOME. 


4(h,  Friday.  The  wind  east  southeast  and  east  by  south, 
hut  still.  We  continued  our  course  easterly,  and  some- 
times a  little  more  northerly.  We  threw  the  deep  lead 
and  had  18  fathoms  of  water.  The  latitude  at  noon  was 
52°  25'.  I  warned  them  that  we  were  too  low,  and  would 
come  hefore  Schevclingh.  This  packet  was  so  full  of  fleas 
that  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  sleep.  Every  passenger 
who  desired  a  berth,  had  to  pay  five  shillings  for  it,  but 
we  did  not.  There  was  such  a  hard  rain  in  the  night, 
accompanied  by  thunder  and  lightning,  that  we  could  not 
keep  dry  in  the  vessel  below,  for  it  leaked  there  as  if  it 
were  open,  or  not  much  better.  We  had  an  English 
minister  on  board,  who  had  been  called  to  the  English 
church  at  Rotterdam.  lie  lay  and  prayed,  and  groaned, 
as  hard  and  loud  as  if  he  would  die  of  fear.1  The  wind 
shifting  to  the  southwest  we  held  it  close. 

5th,  Saturday.  When  day  came,  and  it  had  cleared  up 
some,  we  saw  at  nine  o'clock  the  tower  of  Schevclmgh, 
directly  east,  or  in  front  of  us,  and  half  an  hour  after- 
wards that  of  Gravesend  to  the  leeward,  whereupon,  we 
were  compelled  to  beat,  in  order  to  bring  into  the  Maes, 
which  we  continued  to  do  the  whole  day  till  midnight, 
hefore  we  reached  Briel.  Coming  to  the  pier  there,  most 
of  the  passengers  left  for  Maassluis,  so  as  not  to  wait,  but 
we  could  not  do  so  on  account  of  our  goods. 

6(h,  Sunday.  As  soon  as  it  was  day  we  put  our  goods  on 
hoard  the  Rotterdam  ferry-boat,  which  was  to  leave  about 
nine  o'clock.  In  the  meanwhile,  we  went  to  look  about 
the  place,  and  in  the  church,  where  a  Cocceian  preaches. 
After  breakfast  we  went  on  board,  but  it  was  ten  o'clock 
hefore  we  got  off.    We  had  to  beat  as  far  as  Schiedam, 


1  The  Rev.  John  Spademan,  of  Swayton,  in  Lincolnshire,  was  called  to 
the  English  Presbyterian  church  at  Rotterdam,  as  successor  to  Mr.  Maden, 
■who  died  in  June,  1680. 


ROTTERDAM.    THE  HAGUE.    AMSTERDAM.  425 


where  some  royal  yachts  were  lying,  which  had  sailed  with 
us  from  Gravesend,  and  had  brought  over  the  Prince 
Palatine,  who  had  gone  on  to  the  Hague.  We  were  de- 
layed somewhat  here,  in  consequence  of  transferring  some 
persons  into  another  boat.  We  reached  Rotterdam  about 
two  o'clock,  and  were  informed  that  no  boat  carrying  goods 
left  for  Amsterdam  on  Sundays ;  but  that  one  left  Delft 
at  six  o'clock,  and  we  had  time  enough  to  go  there.  We 
left  our  goods  on  board  the  treck-schuit,  for  Delft,  and 
started  at  three  o'clock  for  that  city,  where  we  arrived  at 
five,  and  learned  we  had  been  misinformed,  and  the  boat 
from  Delft  to  Amsterdam,  left  daily  at  four  o'clock.  We 
had  to  go  and  lodge  in  a  tavern  for  twenty-four  hours. 
We  went  to  church. 

1th,  Monday.  In  order  not  to  be  all  day  at  Delft,  we 
walked  on  to  the  Hague,  and  passed  by  the  house  of  my 
sister  d'  Owerk.  I  asked  my  comrade  whether  I  should 
not  inquire  after  our  friends,  and  if  perchance  any  of  them 
were  at  the  Hague ;  but  he  would  not  consent.  We  re- 
turned to  Delft  at  two  o'clock,  and  after  dinner  left  at  four 
for  Amsterdam. 

8th,  Tuesday.  Having  passed  through  the  night  as  best 
we  could,  we  arrived  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning  before 
the  gate  of  Amsterdam,  which  was  opened  at  six,  and  we 
were  admitted.  We  went  close  by  the  house  of  M.  Bar- 
dewits,1  where  I  was  again  inclined  to  go  in,  but  my  com- 
rade not  approving  of  it  at  the  Hague,  I  abandoned  the 


1  Of  this  person,  we  find  the  following  mention  by  Jacobus  Koelman. 
Before  de  Labadie  left  Amsterdam  for  Herford, "  he  persuaded  a  merchant  at 
Amsterdam,  who  had  heard  him  much,  and  had  been  his  interpreter,  to 
preach  or  lecture  to  three  hundred,  he  said,  in  his  own  house,  after  the 
manner  of  the  Christians  in  the  church  at  Corinth,  1  Cor.,  xiv.  This  man 
having  no  mission  or  calling  to  the  ministry,  was  nevertheless  to  proclaim 
the  word  in  his  house  to  those  who  might  withdraw  from  the  church  but 
did  not  go  away  with  Labadie.    And  so  to  this  day,  such  meetings  of  the 

54 


426  BOSTON,  AND  THE  VOYAGE  HOME. 

idea.  We  put  up  at  the  inn  where  we  lodged  before  our 
departure,  and  had  our  goods7)rought  there,  paying  five  shil- 
lings freight  for  our  goods  alone.  We  separated  in  order  to 
do  our  business  as  speedily  as  possible.  I  went  to  deliver 
all  the  letter*,  and  my  comrade  to  sell  the  amber.  We 
met  on  the  Exchange  at  noon.  -When  I  had  delivered  my 
•letters,  I  went  to  the  boat  for  Sneek,1  to  inquire  how  it 
was  at  the  house,2  and  when  she  would  sail.  They  would 
leave  on  Thursday  evening  ;  and  all  went  well  at  the  house 
as  far  as  they  knew.  My  comrade  who  had  also  made  in- 
quiries,  brought  the  same  word.  He  told  me  also  how  he 
had  succeeded  with  the  amber;  that  it  was  all  spurious, 
and  was  worth  nothing.  He,  therefore,  bad  determined 
to  send  it  back  again  just  as  we  had  received  it.  We  went 
in  the  afternoon  to  perform  some  errands  for  the  woman 
with  whom  we  had  lodged  at  tfew  York,  delivering  two 
beaver  skins  to  her  husband's  daughter.  And  with  this 
we  consumed  the  day. 

9th,  Wednesday.  This  was  a  day  of  public  prayer.  We 
had  nothing  more  to  do  except  to  buy  a  large  Bible  for 
Mr.  Ephraim  Hermans,  according  to  our  promise,  with  his 
spermaceti,  which  we  did.  It  cost  us  twenty-eight  guild- 
ers, because  it  was  the  last  one  of  Kavesteyn's  edition. 
There  was  a  new  edition  in  press  at  the  Fish  Market,  at 
the  place  where  we  bought  this  one,  upon  the  point  of  the 
gate  as  you  go  to  the  Post  office.  We  put  it  on  board  of 
the  ship  of  which  Jan  Gorter  was  captain  and  which  would 

separatists  are  held  in  the  house  of  this  merchant,  named  Bardewiis  M  ho 
not  pretending  to  be  a  minister,  nor  daring  to  administer  the  sacraments 
of  bapt.sm  and  the  Lord's  supper,  every  Sunday  morning  and  afternoon 
preaches  after  the  manner  of  the  public  ministers,  to  a  number  of  persons 
who  seldom,  or  ever  go  to  the  public  assemblies,  as  if  he  only  had  <dfts 
and  grace."—  Ektoimh  Verhaal,  96-7. 

1  In  Friesland  near  Wiewerd. 

2  Thetinga-State,  or  Walta  House,  the  residence  of  the  community. 


ARRIVAL  HOME  AT  WIEWERD. 


427 


leave  in  a  month's  time,  and  addressed  it  to  Mr.  Arnout 
de  la  Grange,  to  whom  we  also  sent  the  amber  with 
directions  what  to  do  with  them.  My  comrade  wrote  to 
Ephraim,  and  also  to  Annetie  Versluis. 

10//i,  Thursday.  "We  had  our  goods  in  good  ■  time  in  the 
boat.  My  comrade  had  also  a  basket  with  distilling 
glasses  (retorts)  in  it,  which  he  had  bought.  I  went  to 
Joannis  Van  Ceulen,  mathematician,  who  had  made  a  new 
sea-atlas,  a  copy  of  which  he  had  sent  to  the  king  of  Eng- 
land, and  also  to  the  king  of  France.  It  is  a  beautiful 
work ;  but  he  was  surprised,  after  having  corrected  it  so 
much  as  he  had,  that  I  should  point  out  to  him  several 
errors.  I  endeavored  to  obtain  a  chart  of  Maryland,  from 
Augustine  Herman's  draught,  but  could  not  find  it  here ; 
nor  could  I  in  England.  At  four  o'clock  we  went  on  board 
of  tbe  boat.  The  wind  was  light  and  contrary,  so  we  only 
drifted  along.  It  was  good  weather.  Our  hearts  gave 
thanks  to  God  when  we  reflected  through  what  ways  he 
had  conducted  us,  and  how  fatherly  he  had  preserved  us, 
and  brought  us  here.  There  sprung  up  a  breeze  in  the 
night,  so  that, 

ll^A,  Friday,  in  the  morning,  we  passed  by  Urk,1  and 
arrived  at  the  Lemmer, -where  our  goods  were  examined; 
but  we  had  nothing  to  pay,  and  went  on.  It  was  so  calm, 
with  the  wind  contrary,  that  it  was  midnight  before  we 
arrived  at  Sneek.  It  was  very  dark  and  rainy,  and  w© 
were  fearful  we  could  not  find  the  way,  else  we  would* 
have  gone  to  The  House  in  the  night. 

12th,  Saturday.  Having  given  directions  to  our  skipper, 
how  he  should  send  our  goods  after  us,  and  having  paid 
him,  we  went  to  speak  to  the  boatman,  who  was  to  take 
the  goods.  It  was  about  seven  or  half-past  seven  o'clock 
when  we  left  Sneek  on  foot.    After  going  some  distance 


1 A  small  island  in  the  Zuidcr  zee,  near  the  shore  of  Friesland. 


428 


BOSTON,  AND  TI1E  VOYAGE  HOME. 


on  our  way,  we  passed  through  Bosum ;  and  about  ten 
o'clock  reached  our  house,  where  all  arms  and  hearts  were 
open  to  receive  us,  which  they  did  with  affection  and  tender- 
ness, in  the  love  of  the  Lord,  who  had  been  with  those  who 
had  remained  at  home,  and  us  who  had  traveled,  all  now 
brought  together,  and  united  by  his  mercy.  To  him  be 
the  power,  and  wisdom,  and  honor,  and  glory  to  all 
eternity.  Amen. 


FINIS. 


INDEX 


AaRSSENS,  Cornelius  van,  of 
Sommelsdyk,  governor  of  Suri- 
nam, xxvii,  xxix. 

Aarssens,  van," of  Sommelsdyk,  three 
sisters  join  the  Labadists,  xxvii, 
xlv. 

Aarssens,  van,  of  Sommelsdyk,  Lu- 
cia, xxix. 

Achter  kol,  East  Jersey,  origin  of 
the  name,  147 ;  visit  to,  264 ;  pro- 
clamation against  its  government, 
277 ;  Governor  Carteret  abducted 
from,  348. 

Adams,  Richard,  planter  in  Mary- 
land, 197,  203. 

Aertsen,  or  Arison  de  Hart,  Simon, 
farmer  at  Gouanes,  visits  to,  122, 
140,  264,  273,  336. 

Albany,  tax  on  goods  going  to,  263 ; 
fare  from  New  York,  285 ;  called 
the  Fuyck,  297, 319 ;  description  of, 
320. 

Aldrichs,  Peter,  of  New  Castle,  on 
the  Delaware,  181, 188,  233,  235. 

Altona  in  Holstein,  residence  of  the 
Labadists,  xxvi. 

Ambergris,  spurious,  336,  361,  426. 

Amboy,  on  the  Raritan,  description 
of,  252. 

Amsterdam,  in  Holland,  de  Labadie 
in,  xvii,  xxiii;  the  journalist  in,  4, 
425. 

Andros,  Sir  Edmund,  Governor  of 
New  York,  a  papist,  xxxi ;  visits 
Pemequid.lll ;  conversations  with, 
258,281,384,  336,  344;  entertains 
the  governor  of  Hartford,  283 ; 
proceedings  against  Governor  Car- 
teret, 261,  277,  346 ;  arbitrary  acts 
of,  353-8 ;  a  retail  trader  in  New 
York,  353;  his  character,  359; 
charges  against,  380. 

Ann,  cape,  Massachusetts,  377. 

Anthony's  Nose,  in  the  Highlands  of 
the  North  river,  330. 

Apoquinimink,  on  the  Delaware, 
190,  226,  212. 


Aquakenonk,  New  Jersey,  159,  264, 
269. 

Apples,  121,  156;  called  the  double 

paradise,  157. 
Armenians,  doctrines  of  the,  ix. 
Augustine,  residence  of  Casparus 

Heermans,  on  the  Delaware,  192, 

213. 

BaNC  au  vert,  shoals  of,  398. 

Barclay,  Robert,  the  famous  quaker, 
visits  de  Labadie,  xxv. 

Bardewitz,  a  preacher  of  Labadism 
in  Amsterdam,  6,  425. 

Barents,  or  Barn  islands,  in  the  East 
river,  135. 

Barent,  a  guide,  235. 

Beeren,or  Barren  island,  adjacent  to 
Long  Island,  119. 

Barkelo,  Herman  van,  Labadist  of 
the  colony  in  Maryland,  xiv. 

Barro,  the  little,  in  the  North  At- 
lantic, 405. 

Bayard,  Peter,  of  New  York,  xxxiii ; 
joins  the  Labadists,  xxxix ;  a 
deacon  in  the  Dutch  church,  343. 

Bayard,  Samuel,  of  Bohemia  Manor, 
xiv. 

Bay,  the,  now  Flatlands,  129. 
Beaver  skins,  value  of,  285. 
Beaver  flesh,  tiresome,  308. 
Bergen,  village  of,  155;  church  at, 

157 ;  its  farms,  158. 
Berkeley,  Lord,  his  grant  of  West 

Jersey,  to  Mr.  Billinge,  241-2. 
Bermuda,  island  of,  its  storms  and 

spectres,  73;  description  of,  74; 

hurricane  near,  74. 
Berry,  Capt.,  his  house  on  the  Pas- 
saic river,  266. 
Bestek,  a  table  in  navigation,  62. 
Bevesier,  or  Beachy  Head,  on  the 

southern  coast  of  England,  21. 
Bible,  the  Indian,   by  Rev.  John 

Eliot,  382-3. 
Blind  staggers,  cure  for,  264. 
Block  island,  376. 


430 


INDEX. 


Boehme,  Jacob,  the  German  theoso- 
phist,  12. 

Boeyer,  Jan,  of  Newcastle  on  the 
Delaware,  22'). 

Bohemia  Manor,  in  Maryland,  ex- 
tent of,  xxxi;  visit  to,  194;  en- 
tailed, 22'),  339. 

Bolsward,  in  Friesland, 3. 

Bon,  Capt.  Andre\  of  New  York,  118. 

Boston,  embarcation  for,  309;  harbor 
of,  377;  fast  day  in,  380;  fire  in, 
387;  sham  battle  in,  889;  French 
protectants  in,  800:  free  trade  in, 
303;  description  of,  304;  witch- 
craft in,  410. 

Bosum,  in  Friesland,  428. 

Botcrberg,  on  the  North  river,  331. 

Bouchell,  Peter,  son-in-law  of  Peter 

Sluvtcr,  xlvi. 

Bonwery,  village  of  the,  137. 

Bowman.  Mr.,  of  Gravesend,  Long 
Island,  132. 

Bownas,  Samuel,  his  account  of  the 
Labadists  in  Maryland,  xli,  xlv. 

Bradslrccl,  Simon,  governor  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, vi-it  lo,  378. 

Brake!,  Theodorus,  a-,  a  learned 
Dutch  divine,  134. 

Brakel,  Willem  a-,  a  distinguished 
Dutch  divine,  134. 

Brandy,  importation  of,  prohibited, 
808,868, 

Brcukelen,  village  of,  120,  133. 

Briel,  424. 

Broadway,  in  New  York,  113. 
Bus,  island  of,  in  the  North  Atlantic, 
404. 

Byllinge,  Edward,  account  of  his 
purchase  of  West  Jersey,  241-2. 

CaRTEBET,  Capt  James,  ac- 
count of,  137. 

Carteret,  Philip,  governor  of  East 
Jersey,  137-8,  254 ;  his  abduction 
and  trial,  346-352. 

Catechising  in  New  York,  134. 

Cahoos  falls,  description  of  the,  290, 
332. 

Calvin,  views  of,  in  regard  to  church 
and  state,  ix. 

Cambridge,  N.  E.,  visit  to,  384; 
the  college  at,  384-5. 

Canal  between  the  Delaware  and 
Chesapeake,  209. 

Canticoy,  an  Indian  dance,  275. 

Card  playing  on  board  ship,  403. 

Carrying  place  between  the  Dela- 
ware and  Chesapeake,  210. 

Catskil  creek,  20G. 

Catskil  mountains,  323,  330. 


Chaudronnier  le,  a  settler  on  Staten 

island,  14(5,  152. 
Charles,  the  ship,  1,  4. 
Charles  II,  king  of  England,  riding 

in  St.  James's  park,  417-41K. 
Chesapeake  bay,  190,  200;  Cheese 

and  Bread  island,  223. 
Child  of  Luxury,  321. 
(.'hilling,  a  mode  of  discipline  among 

i  In  Labadists,  xx.w  ii. 
Christina  creek,  188;  ride  to,  223. 
Christ  ina,  f, it,  taken  by  Stuyvesant, 

188.  , 
Claverack,  on  the  North  river,  323, 

880. 

Cocceians,  origin  of  the,  x. 

Cod,  cape,  372,  377. 

Colony  of  Labadists  in  Maryland, 

xxxi ;  in  Surinam. 
Connncirvs,  a  planter  in  Maryland, 

108,  201. 

Oomniunipaw,    or  Ghmocnepaen, 

155;  described,  157,  258. 
Coney  island,   description  of,  118, 

279. 

Constable's  hook,  204. 

Corlaer's  hook,  341,  374. 

Cortelyou,  Jacques,  settler  at  Nyack, 
120-7;  owns  land  at  Aquakeuonk, 
159;  visits  to,  105,  207,  209,334. 

Court  of  Friesland,  tavern  on  Texel, 

Coxsackie,  on  the  North  river,  331. 
Qromroe    Gouwe,    Peconic  bay, 
Long  Island,  375. 

I3ANCING  among  the  Labadists, 

xxvi;  275. 
Dankers,   alias  Schilders,  Jasper, 

writer  of  the  journal,  xxx  ;  makes 

a  second  voyage  to.  New  York, 

xxxii ;  a  wine  racker  by  trade, 

200.  ' 
Danskamer  in  the  Highlands  of  the 

North  river,  331,337. 
David-.Iorists,  or  David-Georgians, 

a  religious  sect  in  Holland,  360. 
Deadnian's    head,    rock    on  the 

southern  coast  of  England,  24. 
De  Hart,  Simon  Arison,of  Gowanes, 

122,  140,  264,  273,  336. 
Dekey,  Thomas,  382,  386. 
Delapleyne,  Nicholas,  of  New  York, 

338. 

Delaware,  journey  to  the,  163 ;  falls 
of,  172;  houses  at,  how  built,  173; 
description  of  the  river,  237;  its 
discovery,  240;  Stuyvesant's  ex- 
pedition to,  241 ;  tax  on  merchan- 
dise going  to  the,  263. 


INDEX. 


431 


Delft,  in  Holland,  425. 

Dos  Cartes,  philosophy  of,  xi,  xvi. 

Dcnyse,  Peter, weighmaster  at  New 

York,  287. 
Deutcl  bay,  Manhattan  island,  257, 

263. 

Deventer,  Henry  van,  xliv. 

Dirck  of  Claverack,  323. 

Dittelbach,  Rev.  Peter,  becomes  a 
Labadist,  xxviii ;  his  account  of 
the  colony  in  Maryland,  xxxv. 

Doggerbank,  the,  412. 

Dolphin,  one  caught  and  described, 
82. 

Dolphin,  ship,  Capt.  John  Foy,  379. 
Donderbergh  in  the  Highlands  of 

the  North  river,  331. 
Dort,  decrees  of  the  Synod  of,  x. 
Dover,  in  England,  20. 
Drunkenness  amongst  the  Indians, 

151,  274. 

Ducat,  a  gold  coin  of  Holland,  33. 
Ducatoon,  a  silver  coin  of  Holland, 
33. 

Ducks,  wild,  abundance  of,  in  the 

Chesapeake,  204,  208. 
Dunwich  on  the  eastern  coast  of 

England,  415. 
Duyckinck,    Evert,   mate  of  the 

Charles,  19,  30,  103,  154,  125. 
Duykcinck,  Gerrit,  glazier  in  New 

York,  276,  324. 
Duyne,  Gerrit  Cornelia  van,  109, 160, 

261,  269,  286,  334. 
Dyer,  Capt.  William,  collector  of  the 

customs  at  New  York,  284,  347, 

352. 

EdDYSTONE,  the,  reef  on  the 
southern  coast  of  England,  23. 

Eliot,  Rev.  John,  Apostle  of  the  In- 
dians, visits  to,  382,  389. 

Elizabeth,  the  princess,  xxv. 

Elizabeth  islands,  370,  376. 

Elizabethlown,  New  Jersey,  147. 

Episcopal  church-worship  in  New 
York,  140,  148. 

Esopus,  or  Hysopus,  now  Kingston 
276,  281,  324;  description  of,  325. 

Essenius,  professor  at  Utrecht,  xix. 

Execution,  public,  in  Maryland,  220. 

Fairhill,  near  the  Orkney  is- 
lands, 407. 

Falmouth,  in  England,  24;  its  har- 
bor, 26 ;  cargo  unladen  there,  27 ; 
Presbyterian  church  in,  32;  de- 
parture from,  40;  description  of, 
44. 


Farmers  oppressed  by  Governor 
Andros,  354. 

Fasting  and  prayer,  day  of,  in  Bos- 
ton, 380. 

Fare  and  treatment  on  board  ship, 
104. 

Fenwick,  John,  his  proceedings  in 
West  Jersey,  242-3. 

Ferry  between  New  York  and  Long 
Island,  119, 133 ;  over  the  Sassafras 
river,  Maryland,  196,  204. 

First  child  born  in  New  Netherland, 
114,  117. 

Fisher's  island,  370,  376. 

Fitie,  of  Comnnmipaw,  155. 

Flatbush,  131,  133. 

Flatlands,  129. 

Flipse,  see  Philipse. 

Flying  fish,  description  of,  65-6. 

Fore-ordination,  a  doctrine  of  the 
Dutch  reformed  church,  ix. 

Fort  Amsterdam  at  New  York,  112. 

Foy,  Capt.  John,  of  the  Dolphin, 
379,  416,  420. 

Fransen  Claes,  the  ferryman  of  Com- 
nnmipaw, 156,  160-2'. 

French  ships  on  the  banks,  4C0. 

Fresh-kils  on  Staten  island,  147. 

Fresh-water,  the  New  York,  136. 

Frisby,  Capt,,  a  planter  in  Mary- 
land, 196,  208. 

Fuyck,  catching  fish  with  a,  165 ; 
Albany  so  called,  297. 


GaESBECK,  Domine,  of  Esopus, 

a  Cocceian,  111 ;  his  death,  276. 
Galls,  or  Portuguese  men  of  war,  a 

fishy  substance,  so  called,  60. 
Galper,  the,  a  shoal  in  the  English 

channel,  20. 
Gardiniere,  Pierre  le,  a  settler  on 

Staten  island,  146 ;  a  son  in  New 

York,  338. 
Geese,  wild,  on  the  Chesapeake,  208. 
Geresolveert,  of  New  Harlem,  137, 

139. 

Godschalk,  John,  Van  Schurman, 
xvi. 

Gomarists,  a  party  in  the  Dutch 
church,  ix. 

Gorter,  Capt.  Jan,  426. 

Gouanes,  a  settlement  on  Long 
Island,  120,  121,  261,  264. 

Governor's  island,  in  Boston  har- 
bor, 395. 

Governor's  (Noten)  island,  in  New 
York  harbor,  112;  first  residences 
of  Europeans  in  New  Netherland, 
374. 


432 


INDEX. 


Grange,  Arnotit  de  la,  merchant  in 
New  York.  117,  188;  his  father 
buys  Tinicnm  island,  I?!). 

Grapes,  wild,  180,  180,  297. 

Gravcscnd,  on  Long  Island.  130. 

Gravcscnd,  in  England,  4Hi. 

Gravesend,  in  Holland,  424. 

Greenland,  Mr.,  of  Pcscatteway, 
170.  J 

Guttenburgh,  fort  New,  remains  of, 
179. 


1L 


LACK  IXC  SACK  river,  ir,fl,  200. 
Hague,  the,  425. 

Hans,  au  Indian  guide,  of  Achter 
kol,  204;  his  notions  of  the  dciiv 
207.  " 

Harlem, New, Manhattan  island,  130. 

Hartford,  governor  of,  in  New  York, 
283. 

Harwich,  England,  422. 

Heermans,  Augustine,  his  land  in 
Maryland,  called  Bohemia,  xxxi, 
xxxii,  194  ;  makes  a  map  of  Man 
land  and  Virginia,  194  ;  sick,  190  ; 
his  will  225  ;  notice  of  him,  23o| 
note. 

Heermans,  Casparus,  son  of  Au- 
gustine, settled  near  New  Castle, 
190,212. 

Heermans,  Ephraim,  joins  the  Laba- 
dists,  xxxiii,  son  of  Augustine, 
168 ;  clerk  of  the  courts  on  the 
Delaware,  183;  residence  at  New 
Castle,  188;  heir  of  Bohemia 
Manor,  220,  230  ;  promises  to  the 
Labadists,  339. 

Heermans,  Miss  Margaret,  daughter 
of  Augustine,  188,  190,  232. 

Helder,  the,  12. 

Hellgate,  135,  374. 

Hendrick,  Jacob,  a  settler  near  Bur- 
lington, 174. 

Hendrickson,  Hendrick,  a  planter 
in  Maryland,  197. 

Herford,  in  Westphalia,  xxvi. 

Hoerkil,  the,  on  the  Delaware,  219, 
220. 

Hoofden,  the,  or  narrows,  98  ;  v  hy 
so  called,  118. 

Hoogboom,  Meus,  skipper  on  the 
North  river,  285,  297. 

Hoorn,  a  village  on  Texel,  9. 

Hopkins,  Mr.,  a  planter  in  Mary- 
land, 197. 

Hosier,  Mr.,  a  planter  in  Maryland, 
198,  201. 

Howell,  Mr.,  a  planter  in  Maryland, 
196. 


Hoybergh,  on  the  North  river,  331. 
Hurricane  encountered,  mar  Ber- 
muda, 74  ;  damages  from,  89. 

IDEN8EN,  Theunis,  of  Sapoka- 
nikke,  287,  294,  887.  885; 

Illetie,  a  Mohawk  half  breed,  con- 
verted to  Christianity,  801 

Independents,  in  New  England,  393. 

Indians,  at  Nyack,  on  Long  Island, 
98,  124;  notions  among,  in  rela- 
tion to  God,  the  oritrin  of  man 
t-Vc,  I  19,  207  :  simplicity  of  one' 
158-9;  their  opinion  of  the  qua- 
kers,  244 ;  customs  of  some  on 
Millstone  river,  247;  their  can- 
ticoy  atCouanes,273-5  ;  at  Aquak- 
enonk,  209,  272;  account  of  who 
discovered  the  country,  by  Hans, 
one  of  the,  273;  drunkenness 
amongst,  152,  274;  small  pox 
amongst,  277  ;  converts,  301-5. 
Indian  corn  its  production  and  use. 
217. 

Infanticide,  an,  in  Maryland,  219. 


ri  ACOB,  Skipper,  190,  255. 

Jan,  a  baker,  in  New  York,  202. 

Jan,  a  passenger  on  board  the 
Charles,  11,  12,  24,  63. 

Jaquet,  M.,  of  Christina  creek,  188. 

Jasper,  an  old  Indian,  a  remarkable 
character,  148. 

Jesuits,  in  Maryland,  221 ;  in  Bos- 
ton, 388. 

Jochemseu,  Capt.  David,  115. 


K  EITII,  George,  visits  the  Laba- 
dists, xxv. 
Kicheron,  the  Indian's  deity,  208. 
Kieft,  Governor,  113. 
Kikebell,  Thomas  Davidsen,  skip- 
per, 295. 

Kil  von  kol,  west  side  of  Staten 
island,  118;  origin  of  the  name, 
147. 

Kinderhook,  on  the  North  river, 

297,  319,  321. 
Koch,  Otto  Ernest,  proprietor  of 
Tinicum  island,  180 ;  Visit  to,  182. 
Koelman,  Do.  Jacobus,  134,  275. 
Kok,  or  Cocceius,  Johannes,  his  re- 
ligious views,  x. 
Kolchman,  Derick,    of  Bohemia, 

Maryland,  xlv. 
Koning,  Peter  de,  of  Bohemia,  Ma- 
ryland, xlv. 


INDEX. 


433 


LaBADIE,  Jean  de,  founder  of 

Labadism,  account  of,  xii ;  his 

death,  xlvii. 
Labadists,  origin  and  history  of  the, 

xii ;  colony  of,  in  Surinam,  xxix  ; 

in  Maryland,  xxxi. 
La  Grange,  Arnout  de,  merchant  in 

New  York,  117,  133. 
Land,  policy  in  regard  to,  in  New 

York,  357. 
La  Noy,  Abraham  de,  schoolmaster 

in  New  York,  134. 
La  Noy,  Peter  de,  custom  house 

officer  in  New  York,  115. 
La  Motte,  Mons.,  buys  Tinicum,  179. 
Laws  of  New  York  in  Dutch,  166. 
Lawyer,  a,  in  Maryland,  202. 
Lightning,  effects  on  three  men 

mowing,  391. 
London,  arrival  in,  416. 
Log  houses  of  S-wedish  origin,  175. 
Longfield,  or  Langevelt,  Cornelius 

Van  of  Pescatteway,  249. 
Long  Island,  description  of,  118, 

375. 

Lorphelin,  Peter,  punished  in  Bos- 
ton, 377-8. 
Lucas,  a  Boston  skipper,  380. 


Man  ,Mr.,  a  planter  on  the  Dela- 
ware. 

Manhatan  island,  description  of,  135. 
Maryland,  colony  of  Labadists  in, 

description  of,  194,  214,  221. 
Matinekonk  island,  in  the  Delaware, 

174. 

Martha's  Vineyard,  370,  376. 

Marsbankers,  100, 145. 

Marriage,  the  doctrines  of  the  Laba- 
dists concerning,  xxvi,  xxxvii,  xi. 

Maurice,  an  Irishman,  in  Maryland, 
211. 

Menades,  191. 

Mennonists,  their  origin  and  doc- 
trines, xlvii,  note. 

Menuret,  a  disciple  of  De  Labadie, 
xxiii. 

Middelburgh,  in  Zeeland,  de  Laba- 
die at,  xvi. 

Milford,  or  Newark,  New  Jersey, 
266 ;  in  Connecticut,  370. 

Militia  training  in  New  York,  344- 
5;  in  Boston,  389. 

Milk-ditch,  Boston,  373,  395. 

Mill  creek,  or  Elizabeth  creek,  New 
Jersey,  147,  168,  252. 

Miller,  Mr.,  a  planter  in  Maryland, 
198,  202. 

55 


Millstone  river,  New  Jersey,  170, 
245,  247,  251. 

Ministers  in  Maryland  and  Virginia, 
218;  an  Independent  on  board 
ship,  397. 

Mohawk  river,  the,  298,  332. 

Moll,  John,  of  New  Castle,  on  the 
Delaware,  a  Labadist,  xxxiv,  xlv; 
visit  to  his  plantation,  189,  191 ; 
presiding  judge  of  the  courts,  222, 
223-4;  account  of,  229,  340. 

Monmouth,  Duke  of,  his  stables  in 
London,  417. 

Montaigne,  Nicholas  de  la,  at  Bohe- 
mia Manor,  xlv. 

Mosquitos,  147. 

Mouns,  Mr.,  planter  in  Maryland, 
196. 

Mutton,  price  of,  in  New  York,  157. 
Muskrat  described,  188. 

Najack,  or  Nyack,  Long  Island, 
124. 

Nassau,  a  village  began  on  the  Rari- 
tan,  250. 

Nassau,  fort,  on  the  Delaware,  228. 

Naze,  on  the  coast  of  England,  422. 

Negroes  in  New  York,  136 ;  in  Ma- 
ryland, 216. 

Nevesink,  118, 171,  278. 

Newcastle,  on  the  Delaware,  called 
Sant  hoek,  188  :  delivered  to  Wm. 
Penn,  189  ;  description  of,  227. 

New  Dorp,  village  on  Staten  island, 
144. 

New  Guttenburgh,  fort,  remains  of, 
179. 

New  Harlem,  village  on  Manhattan 
island,  136. 

New  Utrecht,  village  of,  128. 

New  York,  city  of,  Labadists  in, 
xxxii ;  first  view  of,  99 ;  descrip- 
tion of,  135 ;  the  fresh  water,  136  ; 
negroes,  136 ;  Bouwery  village, 
137;  New  Harlem,  137;  Sapoka- 
nikke,  139 ;  Episcopal  service  in, 
48,  284;  Quaker  meeting,  160; 
Lutheran  minister,  320;  Dutch 
reformed  minister,  113 ;  mer- 
chants, 152  ;  burgher  right,  260  ; 
commerce,  353. 

Niewenhuisen,  Rev.  William,  minis- 
ter of  Dutch  reformed  church, 
New  York,  111,  113,  160,258,  327, 
337,  343. 

Noormans  kil,  Catskil  creek,  296, 
297. 

North  river,  description  of  the,  328. 
Northwest  kil,  or  Passaic  river, 
266. 


434 


INDEX. 


Noten,  or  Nut  island,  Governor's 
island,  in  New  York  harbor,  the 
first  residence  of  the  Dutch,  374. 

OaTES,  Titus,  20. 

Observations  on  the  voyage  to  New 

York,  100. 
Old  Dorp,  village  on  Staten  island, 

142-4. 
Oostereind  on  Texel,  9. 
Ooslercnd  in  Fricsland,  3. 
Orange,  Fort,  Albanv,  abandoned, 

320. 

Origin  of  the  world  and  man  accord- 
ing to  some  Indians,  160-1,  260. 

Orkney  islands,  407. 

Otto,  a  resident  at  Wicaco,  235. 

Oude  Schild,  village  on  Texel,  7. 

Ovins,  John,  surgeon  on  board 
homeward  ship,  370,  410,420. 

Oysters,  123,  204,  295. 


1  A  DEC  HAL,  capt  Of  the  Boston 
packet,  340,  301,  309,  373.  378,  379. 

Palisades,  on  the  North  river,  138-9. 

Papegay,  or  Papegoia,  Madam, 
178-9. 

Passage,  price  of,  from  Amsterdam 
to  New  York,  1 ;  trom  Boston  to 
London,  380. 

Passaic  river,  260 ;  falls  of  270-1 , 

332. 

Passengers  on  the  Charles,  103-4 ; 
on  the  boat  to  Albany,  295 ;  to 
Boston,  369  ;  on  the  voyage  home, 
390. 

Pavonia,  or  Havcrstraw,  158. 
Peaches,  abundance  of,  110,  120-1, 
139 

Pemequid,  111,  258,  324. 
Pendennis  castle,   Falmouth,  26; 

visit  to,  31. 
Penn,  William,  visits  the  Labadists, 

xxv,  xxvii ;  New  Castle  delivered 

to,  189. 

Penryn,  near  Falmouth,  England, 
28,  45. 

Pensees  les,  de  Pascal,  166. 
Peseatteway,  village  of,  170,  249, 
250,  254. 

Peters,  Frederick,  a  settler  near  Al- 
bany, 300. 

Philipse,  Annetje,  daughter  of  Fre- 
derick Philipse,  12,  85. 

Philipse,  Frederick,  merchant  of 
New  York,  258, 345,  353,  362. 

Philipse,  Margaret,  wife  of  Frede- 
rick, 1,  5, 12,  22,  37,  53,  62, 86, 100, 
362. 


Pidgeon,  Mr.  John,  of  Boston,  341, 

379. 

Pilots  and  pilotage  in  Holland,  17. 
Pirates,  fears  of,  30,  41,  381,  408. 
Pollepcl  island,  331. 
Poppe,  Jean,  of  Flatlands,  a  retired 

sea  captain.  131. 
Postage,  in  England,  29,30. 
Prayers  of  New  Englanders,  371, 

373,  880,  381,  401. 
Prayer  of  an  Indian,  307,  806. 
Print/dorp,  Hie  residence  of  Madam 

Papegay  at  Upland,  183,  180. 
Plum  island,  375. 


( I T  A  KERS,  visit  de  Labadie,  xxv ; 
similarity  to  the  Labadists,  xxv, 
note;  character  of,  176;  a  pro- 
phetess from  Maryland,  182-3 ; 
dispute  between  two  females,  184 ; 
settle  in  West  Jersey,  241  ;  opi- 
nion concerning  them  by  the  In- 
dians, 244  ;  Robert  Wade,  of  Up- 
land, 183,  227,  235. 

Quaker  meeting  in  New  York,  160  ; 
at  Burlington,  175 ;  in  London, 
419. 


ACOON,  or  hespaen  meat,  156. 
Raritan,  the,  164,  280-1. 
Reformed  Dutch   Church,  conten- 
tions in,  xii. 
Reinderman,  Mr.,  339. 
Religion,  decline  of  in  Boston,  383. 
Remarkable  experiences,  337. 
Rentselaer,  Madam  van,  of  Rentse- 

laerswyck,  visit  to,  316. 
Rentselaer's  Hook,  96. 
Rentselaerswyck,  281. 
Rich,  Captain,  of  the  ship  New 

York,  xxxii. 
Rochefort.  Rev.  Charles  de,  convert 
to  Labadism,  and  afterwards  ab- 
jures it,  xxiv. 
Rochelle,  deputation  to  Boston  of 

the  protestants  of,  390. 
Rockol,  a  rock  in  the  North  Atlan- 
tic, 404. 
Rocky  Hill,  New  Jersey,  171. 
Rodenbergh,  Elizabeth  Van,  wife  of 
Ephraim  Heermans,  227,230,232, 
262. 

Rombouts,  Francis,  Mayor  of  New 
York,  interrogates  the  travelers, 

259. 

Ross,  William,  of  Boston,  378. 
Rotterdam,  in  Holland,  425. 
Roxbury,  visit  to,  382 


INDEX. 


435 


SABBATH,  controversy  ill  the 
Dutch  church  concerning,  xl. 

Salsberry,  Mr.,  a  planter  in  Mary- 
land, 197. 

Salem,  village  of,  in  New  Jersey, 
228. 

Salt  meadow,  or  valey,  130. 
Salters,  Anna,  a  quakeress,  184. 
Sandford,  Capt.,of  New  Jersey,  266. 
Sandv  Hook,  90. 

Sanders,  Robert,  of  Albany,  297-8. 
319,  379. 

Sapokanikke,  on  Manhattan  island, 

139,  160,  329. 
Sapaan,  or  hominy,  217. 
Sassafras  river,  Maryland,  196,  224. 
Schenectady,  281,  301,  311,  315. 
Schaats,  Do.,  of  Albany,  111,  112, 

317. 

Schilders,  Jaspar,  pseudonym  of 
Dankers,  the  journalist,  1,  423. 
See  Dankers. 

Scilly  islands,  47. 

Sea  Mirror,  a  book  of  sea  charts,  409. 
Selyns,  Rev.  Henricus,  minister  at 

New  York,  xxxii,  365. 
Seven  sons,  curious  law  about,  358. 
Servants  sold,  191-2,  216. 
Servaasz,  Thomas,  last  Father  of 

the  Labadists  at  Wiewerd,  xliv  ; 
Seybry,  Mr.,  planter  in  Maryland, 

196. 

Shelpot,  or  Schiltpadts  kil,  187. 

Shoemakers  in  New  York  oppress- 
ed, 356-7. 

Silver  Poort-Klock,  or  Silver  Gate- 
bell,  a  book  so  called,  73. 

Singleton,  Thomas,  captain  of  the 
Charles,  1 ;  his  wife,  102-3. 

Sketch  of  the  Great  Bay  —  Raritan 
bay,  129. 

Slangenbergh,  or  Snakes'  hill,  126, 
265. 

Slaves  prohibited  to  Labadists  in 

Maryland,  xliii,  216. 
Sluis  Annetje,  361. 
Sluyter,  Hendrick,  brother  of  Peter, 

xxxi. 

Sluyter,  or  Schluter,  alias  Vorsman, 
Peter,  one  of  the  travelers,  xxx  ; 
self-styled  bishop  of  the  colony  of 
Labadists  in  Maryland,  xxxv; 
death  and  will,  xxxv ;  a  theolo- 
gian, 260. 

Sluyter,  Johannes,  xlvi. 

Sluyter,  Elizabeth,  sister  of  Peter, 
xxxi. 

Smoker's  hook,  on  Kil  achter  kol, 

169,  252. 
Sneek  city,  in  Friesland,  427. 


Snakes'  hill,  or  the  Slangenbergh, 
156,  265. 

Sow  and  Pigs,  rocks,  276. 

Sommelsdyk,  the  sisters,  xxvii. 

Southwold,  Engl  md,  413. 

Spanish  discoverers  in  New  Nether- 
land,  273,  318. 

Spytendevil  creek,  135,  138-9. 

Stabley,  Mr.,  planter  in  Maryland, 
204. 

Staten  island,  visit  to  and  descrip- 
tion, 140-148. 
St.  Catharine's,  London,  416. 
St.  James's  Park,  London,  417. 
St.  Kilda,  405. 

St.  Mawes'  castle,  Falmouth,  26. 

St.  Peter's,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Thames,  416. 

Stoothoff,  Elbert  Elbersen,  of  Flat- 
lands,  33,  note,  119,  333. 

Surinam,  colony  of  Labadists  in, 
xxix. 

Suspicions  concerning  the  travelers, 

17,  359,  387. 
Swadelrack,  on  the  North  river,  331. 
Swart,  Jacob,  of  New  York,  110, 

286. 

Swedes  and  Fins,  character  of,  227. 


1 ACONY,  Swedish  village  on  the 

Delaware,  177,  235. 
Tapoesie,  Mr.,  miller  near  Christina 

creek,  187. 
Taylor,  John,  merchant  of  Boston, 

378,  379,  386,  391. 
Tessemaker,  Rev.  Peter,  proponent, 

111,  142  ;  at  Bergen,  160 ;  at  New 

Castle,  190  ;  his  preaching,  222. 
Texel,  island  of,  8,  12 ;  description, 

15,  16. 

Thetinga-State,  house  of  the  Laba- 
dists at  Wiewerd,  xxvii,  426. 

Theunissen  van  Dykhuis,  Jan,  of 
Flatlands,  a  passenger  in  the 
Charles,  33,  120,  129,  131,  334. 

Thomas,  baker  in  New  York,  249, 
250. 

Tinicum  island,  177,  182. 

Tobacco,  culture  of,  prohibited  to 

the  Labadists,  xxxi ;  staple  of 

trade  in  New  York,  xxxi,  261 ; 

extent  of,  in  Maryland,  216 ;  tax 

on,  218. 

Trico,  Catalina,  of  the  Walebocht, 
342. 

UPLAND,  now  Chester,  Swedish 
village  on  the  Delaware,  183,  228, 
234. 

Urk,  island  in  the  Zuyder  zee,  427. 


436 


INDEX. 


VaLEXTYNE,  Mr.,  a  settler  at 

Spytendevil,  189. 
Valey,  or  v'ly,  description  of,  180. 
Van  Aarssens,  van  Sommelsdyk, 

see  Aarssens. 
Van  Burgh,  Madam,  of  Pcscatteway, 

170. 

Van  Ceulen,  Joannis,  of  Amster- 
dam, 427. 

Van  Duyne,  Gerrit  Cornelis,  of 
Long  Island,  a  passenger  on  the 
Charles,  10!),  100,  201,  20!),  2*0, 
334. 

Van  J  Iel  m  on  I ,  Jean  Baptiste,  his 

hook  on  medicine,  170. 
Van  Kleif,  Cornelis,  of  New  York, 

282. 

Van  Kcntschier,  Madam,  visit  to  at 
Rentselaerswyck,  310,  355. 

Van  Schurman,  Anna  Maria,  fol- 
lower of  de  Labadic,  xvi,  xxviii ; 
death  of,  xlv. 

Van  Schurman,  Jolin  Godschalk, 
xvi. 

Van  Waert,  Mr.,  planter  in  Mary- 
land, 195. 

Y;in  Ziircn.  Kev.  Casparus,  of  Long 
Island,  111,  129,  334. 

Vecre,  in  Zeeland,  temporary  resi- 
dence of  de  Labadie,  xxl. 

Vign6,  Jean,  first  born  child  of 
European  parents  in  New  Nether- 
land,  114,  117. 

Vlieter,  shoals  in  the  Zuyder  zee,  7. 

Voet,  or  Voetius,  Gysbert,  his  reli- 
gious views,  xl. 

Vorstman,  or  Vorsman,  Peter,  pseu- 
donym of  Sluyter,  one  of  the  tra- 
velers, xlvi ;  1,  423.  See  Sluyter. 

Vroonian,  Adam,  of  Schenectady, 
312,  310. 

WaDE,  Robert,  quaker  of  Up- 
land, 183,  227,  235. 
Walebocht,  Long  Island,  341,  374. 


Walloons,  on  Long  Island,  121. 
Walta-IIouse,  xxviii,  420. 
Wapping's  kil,  337. 
W  ar.  Indian,  at  Esopus,  325. 
Watermelons,  new  ground  lor.  336. 
Webblingh,  Mr.,  settler  at  Spyten- 

devil,  13!). 
Weevil,  ravages  of  the,  219. 
\Yi  >i (iiiiistcr,  London,  418. 
West  hook,  Staten  island,  145. 
Wheat  on  the  North  river,  315. 
Whitehall,  in  London,  417. 
Wicaco,  Swedish  village  on  the 

Delaware,  234. 
Wiewerd,  in  Friesland,  xii,  xxvii, 

xiv. 

Wight,  arrival  at  the  isle  of,  22. 
Wild,  the  people  of  the  country  are, 

in. 

Witchcraft  in  Boston,  419. 
Witsius,   professor    at  Franeker, 
xxviii. 

Woodbridire,  village  of,  Xew  Jersey, 
169,  254. 

Wooley,  Rev.  Charles,  episcopal 
minister  at  Xew  York,  148 

Wouter,  a  Mohawk  Indian,  his  con- 
version to  Christianity,  305,  307, 
310,  341,  379. 


YARMOUTH,  on  the  eastern  coast 
of  England,  414. 

York,  Duke  of,  arms  of,  over  Fort 
Amsterdam,  118;  his  enfeoffment 
to  William  Penn  of  Xew  Castle, 
189,  note;  his  grants  of  New 
Jersey,  to  Lords  Carteret  and 
Berkeley,  241,  350,  note;  escorts 
the  Prince  Palatine  in  the  streets 
of  London,  426. 

Yvon,  Pierre,  a  disciple  of  de  Laba- 
die, xvi,  xxiii,  and  his  successor, 
xxvii;  death,  xlv. 


LIST  OF  PLATES. 


PLATE  I. —  FISHES,  INDIAN  WOMAN. 
Translation  of  the  memorandum  at  the  top  of  this  plate.  "  Although  the 
Banks  of  Newfoundland  are  represented  on  the  increasing  degree  chart, 
where  the  shoals  are,  yet  it  is  probable  they  are  larger,  at  least  towards  the 
south,  as  the  water  indicates  even  as  far  as  38°  or  37° ;  and  also  that  there  are 
several  smaller  shoals  which  lie  deeper  and  which  are  not  represented  on 
the  chart." 

The  uppermost  fish  (mentioned  p.  69,  of  the  journal)  is  most  probably 
the  Gempylus  serpens,  first  figured  in  Sloanes's  Jamaica,  plate  1,  fig.  2,  and 
to  which  the  name  of  Scomber  serpens,  was  given  by  Dr.  Solander,  who 
captured  one  three  feet  long  in  Sept.,  1768,  near  the  Canary  islands.  His 
description,  stiU  in  manuscript,  in  the  Banks  Library,  is  quoted  by  Cuvier, 
Histoire  des  Poissons,  vol.  viii,  p.  211,  where  another  species  is  also 
described,  from  the  Pacific.  It  is  a  rare  fish,  and  it  seems  that  no  specimen 
of  it  is  preserved  in  museums. 

Another  rare  fish  somewhat  resembles  this  one,  the  Alepidosaurus  ferox, 
first  described  and  figured  by  the  Rev.  R.  T.  Lowe  in  the  Proceedings  and 
Transactions  of  the  Zoological  Society  of  London,  in  1833,  as  from  the 
Atlantic  near  Madeira.  The  first  mentioned  species  has  the  finlets  in 
advance  of  the  tail,  as  represented  in  the  figure,  which  this  last  has  not. 
The  faint  indication  of  ventral  fins  in  the  figure  would  however  make  it 
an  Alepidosaurus,  but  the  long  anal  and  the  finlets  are  more  like  Gempylus. 

The  middle  figure  of  this  plate,  marked  Dolphyn,  is  the  common 
dolphin  of  the  Atlantic,  the  Coryphaena  hippurus,  of  Linnaeus.  In  the 
text,  mention  is  made  of  these  fish  on  pages  81,  82,  83,  85  and  86. 

The  lowest  figure  marked  Pici  porch,  is  the  Pig  fish  or  Trigger  fish,  the 
Batistes  vetula,  or  perhaps  the  Gapriscus,  of  Linnaeus ;  a  well  known  fish, 
about  a  foot  long,  found  in  the  banks  of  floating  sea  weed,  with  a  hard 
scaly  skin,  and  with  two  spines  on  the  back,  a  peculiarity  in  the  articula- 
tion of  which,  gives  the  fish  its  name  of  Balistes.  The  longer  forward 
spine,  namely,  A,  cannot  be  depressed  until  the  small  hinder  one  B  has 
been  pushed  down.  This  rigid  defensive  weapon,  no  doubt,  prevents 
56 


438 


LIST  OF  PLATES. 


larger  fi9b  from  swallowing  it.  This  curious  property  of  these  spines  is 
described  on  the  plate  as  follows:  "Caught  in  latitude  '61°,  240  miles 
east  of  Maryland.  The  horns  A  and  B  can  he  laid  flat  on  the  back  to  C, 
where  there  is  a  hollow  in  the  back  in  which  the  horns  are  placed  ;  but 
they  cannot  be  raised  up  more  than  is  denoted  in  the  figure.  Whenever 
they  stand  up  in  that  manner  they  cannot  be  pressed  down  at  A,  unless  B 
be  pushed  down  to  C,  when  A  falls  as  far  as  B  is  pressed  down ;  like  the 
lock  of  a  gun  or  a  fire-lock  when  it  is  shot  ofl." 

Several  other  fish  arc  mentioned  in  the  narrative.  The  one  described  as 
a  Seacat,  page  (W,  was  probably  a  small  BlennitiH  ;  the  large  Seapilce,  page 
71,  was  perhaps  a  Sword  fish,  the  Xiphinn  tjladittH  of  Linnams,  and  the 
one  described  as  a  Sea  hedge  hog,  page  91,  was  either  an  Antennarius,  or  a 
Multhcu,  both  of  which  have  something  like  the  limbs  or  paws  of  a  quad- 
ruped.  The  other  lish  mentioned  are  too  common  to  require  further  notice. 

II  — VIEW  OF  THE  ENTRANCE  AT  SANDY  HOOK  FROM 
FORT  HAMILTON. 

Mentioned  on  page  129  of  the  journal.  The  following  is  a  translation 
of  the  note : 

"  Views  of  the  land  on  the  southerly  and  southwesterly  sides  of  the 
great  bay  between  the  Neversincks  and  Long  Island,  24  miles  from  New 
York. 

"  A.  Coney  island.  B.  The  gate  [or  opening]  to  enter.  C.  Sandy  hook. 
D.  Rensselaer's  hook,  [now  the  Neversink  highlands.]  E.  Some  trees 
serving  as  a  land  mark,  [probably  on  a  line  with  Pigeon  hill.] 

"  In  order  to  sail  in  between  the  shoals,  keep  S.  S.  W.  from  them,  [that  is, 
close  to  the  Hook.]  D.  E.  F.  The  land  called  the  Neversinckx.  F.  Kil 
van  kol. 

"  All  as  it  appears  from  Jacques  [Cortelyou's]  house  at  Najak  [Fort 
Hamilton]  on  Long  Island." 

The  bank  drawn  on  the  right  is  the  West  bank.  Porpoises  are  still  com- 
mon in  the  bay,  but  whales,  at  that  time  frequently  captured  along  our 
coast,  are  now  rarely  seen. 

HI.— VIEW  OF  NEW  YORK  FROM  THE  SOUTH-EAST. 

This  view,  taken  from  Brooklyn  heights,  will  prove  exceedingly  interest- 
ing to  the  local  antiquarians  of  New  York,  from  the  number  of  details 
which  are  given  of  the  city  as  it  was  in  1679.  The  draughtsman  has  tried 
to  copy  what  he  saw,  with  minute  accuracy  and  without  the  least  attempt 
to  produce  any  effect.  The  city  was  at  this  time  just  beginning  to  creep 
beyond  the  palisades  on  Wall  street,  which  for  fifty  years  had  bounded  it  on 
the  north.   It  is  unnecessary  here  to  describe  the  different  details  repre- 


LIST  OF  PLATES. 


439 


sented,  which,  no  doubt,  will  be  studied  and  compared  with  other  views 
and  with  plans  and  documents  of  the  period.  We  merely  draw  attention 
to  the  accuracy  of  the  view  as  proved  by  the  fact  that  one  block,  the  left 
hand  one  in  the  view,  with  thirteen  houses,  corresponds  precisely  with  the 
plan  given  in  Valentine's  Manual  of  the  Corporation  of  Neio  York,  which 
shows  fourteen  lots  on  the  same  block,  fronting  on  Pearl  street  or  the 
Ecere  graft.  The  middle  bouse  in  the  view  occupies  two  of  these  lots, 
testing  therefore  the  precision  of  the  drawing.  The  fort  with  its  church, 
the  dock,  the  Stadthuys,  the  halfmoon  forts,  the  guard  bouse  at  the  water 
gate,  foot  of  Wall  street,  the  ship  yards,  and  the  windmills  on  the  hill  near 
the  corner  of  the  present  Fulton  street  and  Broadway,  are  all  to  be  seen  in 
this  curious  sketch.  From  it  an  enlarged  view  of  the  Stadthuys,  once  the 
city  tavern,  has  been  made,  and  is  given  on  plate  VIII. 

IV. —  VIEW  OF  NEW  YORK  FROM  THE  EAST. 

This,  view  looking  along  the  shore  of  the  East  river,  appears  to  have  been 
taken  from  a  point  near  the  corner  of  the  present  Fulton  and  Water 
streets.  It  shows  the  nortli  side  of  the  dock,  the  water  gate  from  the 
north,  and  the  shipping.  The  church  and  Stadthuys  are  not  distinctly 
seen,  as  the  sketch  was  probably  taken  from  near  the  water  level.  A  por- 
tion of  this  sketch  has  been  used  in  compiling  the  view  on  plate  IX. 

V— VIEW  OF  NEW  YORK  FROM  THE  NORTH. 

This  was  probably  taken  from  two  points,  in  order  to  show  as  much  as 
possible  of  the  south  end  of  the  island  and  of  the  North  river.  This  has 
caused  some  confusion  in  the  perspective  and  in  the  line  of  horizon,  which 
is  sought  to  be  rectified  in  the  compiled  sketch  on  plate  VII. 

It  appears  to  have  been  taken  in  part  from  near  the  head  of  the  present 
John  or  perhaps  Fulton  street.  The  buildings  near  the  Bowling  green 
north  of  the  fort,  are  hidden  by  the  fall  of  the  land  there  towards  the  Bat- 
tery, and  but  little  is  seen  of  the  main  portion  of  the  city  along  the  East 
river  from  a  similar  reason,  the  slope  towards  the  river.  Broadway  is  a 
mere  country  road  with  fields  open  to  the  North  river  on  the  right,  and 
but  few  houses  on  its  east  side. 

One  of  the  windmills  was  put  up  before  16G4,  and  the  other  (the  upper 
one),  shortly  after  the  transfer  of  the  colony  to  the  English.  . 

The  wagon  appears  to  be  turning  down  the  Magdje  Pad  or  Maiden  Lane. 

This  is  the  only  view  of  New  York  on  the  North  river  side  at  this  early 
period,  known  to  us,  except  that  in  Hartger  and  Vanderdonk. 

VI.— MAP  OF  THE  SOUTH  OR  DELAWARE  RIVER  FROM 
THE  FALLS  TO  BURLINGTON. 

From  a  plan  accompanying  the  manuscript.  It  is  mentioned  at  page 
255  of  the  journal. 


440 


LIST  OF  PLATES. 


The  preceding  plates  are  in  fat  simile  of  the  original  drawings  accom- 
panying the  manuscript.  The  following  are  new  drawings,  rectifying  some 
portions  of  them  ;  except  the  last,  which  is  a  view  of  the  present  appear- 
ance of  the  De  Hart  house  at  Gouanes,  where  the  travelers  were  enter- 
tained and  the  Indians  held  their  cantecoy.  See  pages  122,  204,  273  of  the 
journal. 

VII.— VIEW  OF  NEW  YORK  FROM  TIIE  NORTH. 
Restored  from  the  original  sketch  on  plate  V. 

VIII.— TIIE  STADTnUYS  OF  NEW  YORK  IN  1679. 

Corner  of  Pearl  SI.  and  Coentys  Slip. 

This  has  been  taken  from  the  original  sketch  on  plate  III.  It  corrects 
in  some  points  the  appearance  of  this  building,  as  given  in  Valentine's 
Manual  of  the  Corporation  and  presents  a  life-like  picture  of  the  north- 
west portion  of  the  oily  dock  and  its  surroundings,  all  the  material  for 
which  is  to  be  found  in  the  above  mentioned  sketch. 

Erected  as  a  city  tavern  in  1042,  it  was  converted  to  the  purposes  of  a  City 
Hall  in  1606,  and  was  finally  torn  down  in  1700.  The  small  half  moon 
fort  in  front  of  it  once  projected  out  into  the  river. 

IX.— NORTH  VIEW  OF  THE  DOCK,  NEW  YORK,  1679. 
Being  a  part  of  the  original  sketch  No.  IV. 

X.-THE  WATER  GATE,  FOOT  OF  WALL  ST.,  NEW  YORK,  1679. 
Also  from  the  original  sketch,  No.  IV. 

XL— THE  EAST  RIVER  SHORE  NORTH  OF  THE  WATER  GATE, 

NEW  YORK,  1679. 
Taken  from  sketches  Nos.  Ill  and  IV. 

Xn.— THE  DE  HART  HOUSE,  ON  GOUANES  BAY. 
As  it  appears  in  1867. 

VIEWS  MENTIONED  IN  THE  TEXT  BUT  NOT  FOUND  ACCOM- 
PANYING THE  MANUSCRIPT. 

Page  178  —  View  at  Tinicum  island. 

"    193  —  View  near  New  Castle,  Delaware. 

"   193 — View  at  the  head  of  (navigation  ot)  the  Delaware. 

"   197 — View  of  Passaic  Falls. 

VIEWS  OMITTED. 

Page  299  — Cohoes  falls. 
"   333  —  Catskill  mountains. 


I 


Mayo/}'-  **>  27r*v  Netkjr.rlevrixtij 


pj.rv 


VIBW  OK   NKW  YORK   WHOM    THE     NORTH, 1670.  ttorlnukty Gj&ywrt *c /rmartjm. 


VIEW  OF  JNJiWYORK  PROM  THE  NORTH 


THE  DELAWARE   RIVER  FROM  THE  FALLS  AT  BURLINGTON.  167$. 


n  viii 


VIEW  OF  NEW  YORK  FROM  THE  NORTH;  1679 


PI.  XII. 


VIEW  OF  THE  HOUSE  OF  SlMON  AEB.T.' 

still  standing"  on  Gowati^r  Eav  in  '. 


